What does concurring mean?
Concurring is the present participle of the verb 'concur', meaning to agree with someone or to express formal agreement, particularly in official, legal, or academic settings. When judges, committees, or reviewers 'concur', they independently reach the same conclusion or explicitly endorse another's view — a usage familiar from the 'concurring opinions' that Supreme Court justices issue alongside majority rulings. A second, older sense refers to events happening at the same time, though this meaning of coincidence is now relatively rare. The word carries a distinctly formal tone: in everyday conversation people simply say they agree, whereas 'concur' signals deliberation, authority, or professional distance. Derived from Latin roots meaning 'to run together', concurring literally suggests minds or events moving along the same path at once, which makes it an apt and elegant term for consensus reached through independent judgment.
verbPresent participle of 'concur': to agree with someone or express agreement, especially in a formal context; also, to happen or occur at the same time.
- To express agreement or approval, especially formally or officially.
- (of events) To happen at the same time; coincide.
"Both auditors were concurring that the accounts had been properly maintained."
"The committee members, concurring with the chairman's recommendation, approved the proposal unanimously."
"The festival happened to be concurring with the city's bicentennial celebrations."
When Supreme Court justices write separately but reach the same verdict, they publish a 'concurring opinion' — agreement, in writing, without ever having to speak to each other.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of concurring
Concurring derives from the Latin verb 'concurrere', formed from 'con-' (together) and 'currere' (to run), originally meaning to run or come together, collide, or meet at the same point. English adopted 'concur' in the early 15th century, first in the sense of events happening simultaneously, with the sense of mental agreement developing later. It shares its Latin root 'currere' with words such as current, course, courier, and curriculum, all carrying the underlying idea of running or flowing.
Related word forms
How concurring is actually used
Formal register, most common in legal, academic, and official contexts. The temporal sense ('happening at the same time') is less common in modern usage than the sense of expressing agreement.
Easily confused with concurring
'Concurring' means agreeing or happening together, while 'conquering' means defeating or overcoming by force.