What’s the Difference Between Cement and Concrete?

The words cement and concrete are often used interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing. Cement is a fine powder that forms a hard substance when mixed with water. It’s made by heating a blend of limestone and clay, then grinding it down. On its own, cement can be used in grout or combined with sand to make mortar for binding bricks or stones.

Concrete, by contrast, is a construction material made from cement, water, and aggregates—materials like sand, gravel, or crushed stone that give the mixture bulk and strength. The cement binds everything together, forming a solid mass. The water-to-cement ratio and the quality of the aggregates affect how strong and durable the final product is. Too much water can weaken the mix; too little can make it unworkable.

Concrete is used in everything from roads and bridges to building foundations, retaining walls, and large-scale infrastructure like dams and tunnels.

In short, cement is an ingredient in concrete, not the finished product. So if you’re looking at something as ordinary as a sidewalk or as dramatic as a Brutalist office building, and calling it cement, what you’re really looking at is concrete.