concoction

noun

con·​coc·​tion kən-ˈkäk-shən 

kän-

plural concoctions

1

: something (such as a food or drink) that is concocted from various elements : something prepared or devised by combining different ingredients

an elaborate concoction

This concoction is a cross between hot chocolate and a grasshopper, a mixed drink that gets its minty kick from crème de menthe.

—Kim Steckler

… the disc offers quite an unusual concoction of old and new songs that are surprisingly cohesive.

—Jon Hetman

2

: the act of process of concocting something

One of these young men had a rare faculty in the concoction of gin-cocktails.

—Nathaniel Hawthorne

Synonyms

• brainchild
• coinage
• contrivance
• creation
• innovation
• invention
• wrinkle

Examples of concoction in a Sentence

the first submarine must have seemed like a wild concoction at the time

Recent Examples on the Web

From plenty of mayonnaise-laden bites to an interesting leftover cornbread concoction. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 2 Feb. 2025

Finally, feel free to name your new concoction if the twist is enough to stand on its own. —Emily Price, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025

The concoction is then poured into a cheeky, tea cup–shaped martini glass for an unexpected presentation. —Christina Liao, Travel + Leisure, 22 Jan. 2025

The eminent philosopher of personhood Derek Parfit served himself a nightly concoction of pills and vodka in an effort to knock himself out. —Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 2