concerns

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of concern.

   The committee listed its concerns in a short report.

   Safety concerns delayed the opening of the new bridge.

   Note

   Every noun sense of concern can be counted, so the plural reaches across several meanings. It can name several worries (safety concerns), several matters of interest, or several businesses, as in small family concerns. Only the singular slips easily into the uncountable sense of general worry (a cause for concern). The same spelling also serves the verb meaning 'relates to'. A following preposition such as about usually signals the noun.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present indicative of concern.

   This chapter concerns the early history of the city.

   The court's decision concerns all current employees.

   Note

   Every sense of the verb is transitive, so concerns goes straight to its object with no preposition: the report concerns the budget, never concerns about it. With a topic as object it means "is about" or "affects." With a person as object it can mean "worries," as in it concerns me that nobody called. Concerns about belongs to the plural noun.

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