succinct
Americanadjective
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characterized by conciseness or verbal brevity.
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compressed into a small area, scope, or compass.
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Archaic.
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drawn up, as by a girdle.
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encircled, as by a girdle.
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adjective
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marked by brevity and clarity; concise
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compressed into a small area
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archaic
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encircled by or as if by a girdle
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drawn up tightly; closely fitting
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Related Words
See concise.
Other Word Forms
- succinctly adverb
- succinctness noun
- unsuccinct adjective
Etymology
Origin of succinct
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin succinctus, past participle of succingere “to gird, gather up (one's clothes), prepare for action,” equivalent to suc- “under, beneath” ( suc- ) + cing(ere) “to gird, equip” + -tus past participle suffix
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Gunn was more succinct, showing his support with just a green heart emoji.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026
One smart strategy: Upload your draft of a review and ask the system for help improving clarity, making a particular section more succinct or softening the tone, for example.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026
He answered several questions with a succinct “I’ve got nothing for you on that.”
From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026
When told of the candidate’s party affiliation, there was the succinct response: “We’re not.”
From Slate • Dec. 2, 2025
The words that come to me are actually quite succinct.
From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
