Concertare

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To arrange or bring into agreement; to coordinate actions or ideas; to collaborate in planning or executing a task
2. To organize or harmonize differing elements; to coordinate efforts or intentions; to reach mutual understanding through discussion or planning
3. To plan or adjust elements cohesively; to work jointly toward a common goal; to align perspectives or actions through mutual effort

Etymology: Latin "concertare" literally meant to strive with someone, to contend or compete against an opponent. It combined "con-", "together," with "certare," "to struggle or contest," so the original idea was rivals pitting themselves against each other, not partners pulling in the same direction. The sense of joint effort came later. In Italian, "concertare" came to mean arranging or agreeing on something together, and that sense of coming to a shared arrangement is what moved toward cooperation. The musical sense of "concert" in English shares this Italian ancestry, where musicians had to coordinate their parts.

Synonyms: compete, contend, vie, rival, struggle

Antonyms: agree, cooperate, collaborate, concur