condense
Americanverb (used with object)
-
condenses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
condensed,
past participle, past
-
condensing
present participle
-
to make more dense or compact; reduce the volume or extent of; concentrate.
- Synonyms:
- consolidate, compress
- Antonyms:
- expand
-
to reduce to a shorter form; abridge.
Condense your answer into a few words.
- Synonyms:
- abbreviate, abstract, epitomize, digest
-
to reduce to another and denser form, as a gas or vapor to a liquid or solid state.
verb (used without object)
-
condenses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
condensed,
past participle, past
-
condensing
present participle
-
to become denser or more compact or concentrated.
-
to reduce a book, speech, statement, or the like, to a shorter form.
-
to become liquid or solid, as a gas or vapor.
The steam condensed into droplets.
verb
-
(tr) to increase the density of; compress
-
to reduce or be reduced in volume or size; make or become more compact
-
to change or cause to change from a gaseous to a liquid or solid state
-
chem to undergo or cause to undergo condensation
Synonym Usage
See contract.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
condensabilitynoun
-
overcondenseverb
-
precondenseverb
-
recondenseverb
-
condensableadjective
-
uncondensingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
condensesimple
-
condensessimple
-
have condensedperfect
-
has condensedperfect
-
am condensingprogressive
-
are condensingprogressive
-
is condensingprogressive
-
have been condensingperfect progressive
-
has been condensingperfect progressive
Past
-
condensedsimple
-
had condensedperfect
-
was condensingprogressive
-
were condensingprogressive
-
had been condensingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of condense
First recorded in 1475–85; from Middle French condenser, from Latin condēnsāre, from con- con- + dēnsāre “to thicken,” verb derivative of dēnsus dense
Explanation
When you condense something, you cut it down and trim it. You may love every word of your 1000-page novel, but you'll have to condense the plot into a 2-page summary for your editor. When you condense something, you make it smaller and more compact. If you condense your wardrobe, you get rid things and keep only what you wear most. When a gas or vapor turns to liquid, it condenses. When you take a long, hot shower, the steam condenses in your bathroom, your mirror clouds up, and everything gets damp. Condense comes from Latin con-, “completely” and densus, “thick, dense."
Vocabulary lists containing condense
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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.
See Examples For:
These materials do not fit the assumptions behind BCS theory, even though their electrons still form Cooper pairs and condense.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026
Aerosols act like tiny seeds around which water vapour can condense, making some clouds brighter or longer-lived.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Thomas’s style of speaking, in fact, resembles poetry, with rapid juxtapositions of images and a tendency to condense memories from different time periods.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026
"It can't create rain where there is no moisture in the air, but it just 'forces' some of the water to condense in one location rather than another," he told AFP.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2025
Shivering and watching my breath condense in front of me, I threw on extra layers of clothes.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
The coating encourages more droplets to appear as water vapor condenses while also making it easier for those droplets to leave the surface.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
Gilbert said they have been harvesting at 03:00 BST to bring the moisture up, as at that time of day it's cooler and water condenses.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
As the Sun heats the ground, the water vapour suddenly condenses.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
The libretto, by the composer and Manuelle Mureddu, efficiently condenses the novel using a chorus as both narrator and the village community.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
In front of me, the sheet of red light collects and condenses into an orb of golden Obayifo spirit.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
A portion of their conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity below.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
She qualified for that year's World Championships, Commonwealth Games and European Championships in what was an unusually condensed season owing to the backlog from the pandemic.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Here a condensed and edited excerpt of my conversation with Sodipo:
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
The Pentagon this year condensed more than 200 religious affiliation codes to 31, initially eliminating specific classifications for atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans and Wiccans, among others.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
In The Annotated Mona Lisa 25,000 years of art history have been condensed into 208 pages in order to quickly provide some of the necessary skills and knowledge.
From "The Annotated Mona Lisa" by Carol Strickland and John Boswell
By condensing decades of kidney aging into just a few months, the model provides a practical way to evaluate how existing and experimental treatments affect organ resilience over time.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 30, 2026
Instead, like a still condensing sugar-saturated slop into a refined liquor, this downsizing concentrates the force of his images, shifting the mood from one of frivolity to seriousness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026
The Ombudsman also found the commission "limited the possibility of its departments to provide meaningful input" by condensing internal consultations into "less than 24 hours over a weekend".
From Barron's ● Nov. 27, 2025
For Kelly Burton, a mental health nurse from Crewe, condensing her hours into a four-day week since July has given her “perfect work-life balance”.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2024
Still nervous, Mom knelt down to check on Philip to ensure he was condensing oxygen appropriately.
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
