What does concerting mean?
'Concerting' is the present participle and gerund of the verb 'to concert', meaning to plan, arrange, or carry out something jointly through mutual agreement and coordinated effort. When nations, organizations, or individuals are said to be concerting their actions, they are deliberately aligning their plans so that each contributes to a shared objective. The word carries a formal register and appears chiefly in diplomatic, political, and historical writing — for example, 'the powers were concerting their policy toward the region.' It connotes deliberate cooperation rather than casual teamwork, implying negotiation and mutual adjustment among distinct parties. Although less common than its adjective cousin 'concerted' (as in 'a concerted effort'), 'concerting' remains a precise and elegant way to describe the process of harmonizing separate intentions into unified action. Its rarity gives it a slightly elevated tone suited to serious, institutional contexts.
Planning, arranging, or bringing about something jointly through mutual agreement or coordinated action.
"The ministers were concerting their approach ahead of the summit."
Formal register; typically followed by a noun such as 'efforts', 'action', or 'a plan'.
The act of coordinating or harmonizing plans or efforts among multiple parties, used as a noun.
"Concerting their policies proved harder than signing the treaty."
Before it meant a musical performance, a 'concert' was literally a battle — the Latin root 'concertare' meant to contend or fight together, which is why 'concerting' still carries the sense of forces joining in coordinated effort.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of concerting
'Concerting' derives from the verb 'concert', which entered English in the late sixteenth century from French 'concerter', itself from Italian 'concertare'. The Italian verb originally meant to contend or fight together, from Latin 'concertare' ('to dispute earnestly'), built on 'com-' ('together') plus 'certare' ('to strive'), from 'certus' ('settled, decided'). Over time the sense softened from contention to harmonious arrangement, giving rise both to the musical 'concert' and to the idea of jointly planned action. Related words sharing this root include 'concerto', 'certain', and 'certify'.
Related word forms
How concerting is actually used
'Concerting' is formal and relatively rare compared to its adjective relative 'concerted'. It appears most often in diplomatic, political, and institutional writing, where coordinated action between parties is being described. In everyday speech, speakers usually prefer 'coordinating' or 'working together'.
Easily confused with concerting
'Concerted' is an adjective describing something done jointly or in unison (as in 'a concerted effort'), while 'concerting' is the active verb form describing the act of coordinating.
'Concerning' means relating to or causing worry, whereas 'concerting' refers to planning or arranging something jointly; they look similar but are unrelated in meaning.