concurent

Concurent is a term that appears in multiple languages with different meanings. In Romanian, concurent (masc.) and concurenta (fem.) denote a competitor or opponent, used in contexts such as business, sports, or elections. In English, the related word is concurrent, while concurent is often a misspelling; concurrent describes things that exist or occur at the same time, and concurrence refers to the act or state of being in agreement or the occurrence itself.

Etymology and scope. The word derives from the Latin concurrere, meaning to run together. In English, forms such as concurrent, concurrence, and concurrency are used across domains to express togetherness, overlap, or joint occurrence. The Romanian sense focuses on rivalry, while the English sense emphasizes simultaneity or joint occurrence in processes, events, or legal rulings.

In computing, concurrency is a central concept. It describes systems that handle multiple tasks in overlapping time periods, rather than strictly in sequence. Concurrency supports responsiveness and efficiency through threads, asynchronous operations, and event-driven models. Topics such as synchronization, race conditions, and deadlocks are common when designing concurrent software and databases.

In mathematics and geometry, concurrency refers to a set of lines or curves that intersect at a single point. For example, the three altitudes or the angle bisectors of a triangle can be concurrent. Ceva’s theorem provides conditions for the concurrency of cevians in a triangle.

In law, concurrent sentences are penalties that run at the same time rather than one after another. This distinction affects total time served and is a common consideration in sentencing.

In business and sports, a concorrente—or competitor—is a party challenging others for market share, position, or victory.