concerned

Concerned is an English adjective derived from the verb to concern. It has two principal senses in everyday use: (1) worried, troubled, or anxious about something; and (2) interested in, involved with, or affected by a matter. In the first sense, a person is concerned about a risk or outcome. In the second sense, a topic or issue is described as being of concern to a group, or a person may be concerned with it, meaning they relate to or are engaged by it.

Origin and form: The adjective concerned comes from the verb concern, which traces to Old French concerner and ultimately to Latin con- + cernere, meaning to bring together, touch upon, or relate to. The adjective is the past participle form used to describe someone or something characterized by concern.

Usage: Common collocations include concerned about, concerned for, and concerned with. It can also appear in the phrase the concerned to refer to people who are worried or involved. The present participle form concerning means regarding and is used to introduce or relate to a topic: “Concerning the budget, the committee issued a statement.” Context usually clarifies whether the intended sense is emotional worry or active interest.

See also: concern (noun), concern (verb), concerning, concerned citizens.