[f. CONCERN v. + -MENT.]
† 1. A matter concerning, or having relation to, any person or thing; a matter appertaining. Obs.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry, VI. vi. (1660), 417. Of whose creation, privileges, and other concernments you may be more fully satisfied in a Supplement to this Book.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., III. i. 107. Other concernments there are of the Elephant, which might admit of discourse. Ibid. (1658), Gard. Cyrus, Wks. II. 541. The delights, commodities, mysteries, with other concernments of this order.
1654. R. Whitlock, Ζωοτομια, A vj. In Concernments of Physick and their own Health.
† 2. A matter in which any one has or takes an interest; an interest. Obs. or arch.
1627–77. Feltham, Resolves, II. lxvii. 292. He that minds his own and but seldom intrudes upon the concernments of others.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies (1840), III. 388. I presume the concernments of the poor are well cared for.
1741. Watts, Improv. Mind, xiv. Wks. (1813), 96. Those that have influence upon our everlasting concernments.
1867. Bushnell, Mor. Use Dark Th., 194. The very highest concernments of his nature.
3. An affair, business, concern.
1621. Jas. I., Lett., in Rushw., Hist. Coll. (1659), I. 59. To promote … our concernments with his Majesty.
1662. Dryden, Wild Gallant, Pref. I do not think it my Concernment to defend it.
1725. Watts, Logic, II. iii. Introd. In our civil concernments; as well as in matters of learning.
1816. Scott, Tales of Landl., Ser. I. Introd. Men … travelling on their concernments of business.
1859. Trollope, Bertrams, II. xi. 163. He was now a man of many concernments.
1879. Miss Jackson, Shropsh. Word-bk., Consarnment, concern; business. ‘I toud ’im it wuz no consernment o’ mine.’
4. The fact of concerning or having reference; relation, bearing, application, connection. Commonly after of, as ‘a matter of public concernment,’ i.e., that concerns the public.
1622–62. Heylin, Cosmogr., II. (1682), 31. In any matters of particular concernment.
1659. J. Arrowsmith, Chain Princ., 386. A message of very sad concernment.
1692. Bp. Rochester, Wicked Contriv., in Select. Harl. Misc. (1793), 497. Mr. Dyve … found nothing in them [letters] but matters of private concernment.
1694. Burthogge, Reason, 111. Mind … free from all concretion or concernment with matter.
1844. Ld. Brougham, Brit. Const., xix. § 5 (1862), 342. Crimes were thus regarded as matters of private concernment, with which the injured parties alone had to do.
1875. Whitney, Life Lang., x. 206. The dative is the case of general relation or concernment.
5. The quality of concerning or being important to persons, etc.: importance, weight, moment.
1654. R. Whitlock, Ζωοτομια, 270. The number and concernment are lesse than what are injured by corrupted Historians.
1679. Penn, Addr. Prot., II. § 3 (1692), 90. No Person of common Understanding will conclude an Equal Weight or Concernment in these things.
1691. Norris, Pract. Disc., 184. Their own concernment and importance will be enough to recommend them.
1704. Nelson, Fest. & Fasts, iv. Upon the account of both the certainty and the concernment of them [objects of faith].
b. esp. in the attrib. phrases, of concernment, of great, special, vital (etc.) concernment.
1642. Jer. Taylor, Episc. (1647), 202. The question here that is only of concernment is … by whom it was reserved.
1666. Lond. Gaz., No. 25/3. To take some Iland of concernment in those Parts.
1726. Shelvocke, Voy. round World, III. (1757), 206. Posts of too much concernment for their capacities.
1765. T. Hutchinson, Hist. Col. Mass., ii. 230. Of great concernment, that the … charter should be kept safe.
1841–4. Emerson, Ess., Ser. II. ii. 56. Secrets of highest concernment.
1872. Morley, Voltaire, v. Matter of vital concernment.
† 6. A relation of being objectively interested in any matter; interest. To have (a) concernment: to be concerned or interested (in). Obs.
1640. Bp. Hall, Episc., I. § 1. 1. The act was yours; the concernment the whole Churches.
1656. Jeanes, Mixt. Schol. Div., 109. Our concernment in the incarnation was farre greater then the Angels, and yet how doe their thanks surmount ours?
1670. Marvell, Corr., Wks. 1872–5, II. 300. I shall not neglect to give you notice of what is done among us, where you have so much concernment.
1691. T. H[ale], Acc. New Invent., 129. The King of England … having … most Concernment to be more considerable at Sea than any other Prince or State.
7. A concerning oneself with or being concerned in anything; interference. To have concernment with: to have to do with.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb. (1843), 25/2. And married a beautiful young Lady … without any other approbation of her Father, or concernment in it, than suffering him and her to come into his presence after they were married.
1676. Collins, in Rigaud, Corr. Sci. Men (1841), II. 454. I offered your tract to divers booksellers, who refused a concernment in it.
1687. Towerson, Baptism, 98. The works of men can have no concernment in it.
1856. Ruskin, Mod. Paint., IV. V. iv. § 2. The greatest men … whom modern Europe has produced in concernment with the arts.
1861. Tulloch, Eng. Purit., I. i. 58. The brew-house was managed … without any concernment of his father therein.
8. A feeling of interest, solicitude, anxiety, etc.
1652. Sir C. Cotterell, trans. Cassandra, I. 7. Observing with more attention since with more concernment.
1654. Earl Orrery, Parthenissa (1676), 713. Your Concernments for her Misfortunes will put a Period to them.
1693. Mem. Cnt. Teckely, II. 164. The King of Poland testified to them a sensible concernment at what had passed.
1773. J. Ross, Fratricide (MS.), III. 368. The suppos’d concernment of the Fiend For his revenge alone.
1855. Singleton, Virgil, II. 186. If some concernment for a mother’s right Deep preys upon you.
