What does concerningly mean?
"Concerningly" is an adverb used to mark something as worrying or cause for anxiety. It functions much like "worryingly" or "alarmingly", but with a somewhat more measured, formal tone, which has made it a favourite of journalists, researchers, and official reports. It most often appears at the beginning of a clause to frame a following fact — "Concerningly, the error went undetected for months" — or immediately before an adjective or adverb to intensify it, as in "concerningly low turnout" or "concerningly high levels". The word is formed from "concerning", itself derived from the verb "concern", which traces back through Old French to the Late Latin "concernere", meaning to sift together or relate to. Although its components are centuries old, "concerningly" itself gained wide currency only in the later twentieth century, as analytical and bureaucratic writing sought precise ways to flag bad news without melodrama.
adverbIn a way that causes concern or worry; used to signal that something is troubling, worrying, or cause for anxiety.
- Used to introduce or comment on a fact or situation that is worrying or gives cause for concern.
"Concerningly, the number of students failing the exam has doubled in two years."
"The patient's blood pressure remained concerningly high despite the medication."
"Most concerningly, none of the safety inspections had been carried out on schedule."
Built from a Latin verb meaning 'to sift apart', this modern-sounding adverb only rose to prominence in news and official reports in the late 20th century.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of concerningly
"Concerningly" derives from "concerning", the present participle of the verb "concern", which entered English in the early 17th century via French "concerner" from Late Latin "concernere", formed from "com-" (together) plus "cernere" (to sift, distinguish, or decide). The root "cernere" also produced English words such as "discern", "certain", and "secret" through related Latin formations. The adverb "concerningly" arose by the standard addition of "-ly" to the participle, but it achieved common usage relatively recently, becoming widespread in journalistic and official prose in the late twentieth century.
Related word forms
How concerningly is actually used
Formal to neutral register, common in journalism, academic writing, and official reports. It typically appears at the start of a sentence as a sentence adverb ('Concerningly, ...') or directly before an adjective or adverb ('concerningly high'). It carries a slightly more measured tone than 'alarmingly'.
Easily confused with concerningly
'Concerning' means 'relating to' or 'about' something (e.g. 'a report concerning safety'), while 'concerningly' is an adverb meaning 'in a way that causes worry'.