compact

[ adjective kuhm-pakt, kom-, kom-pakt; verb kuhm-pakt; noun kom-pakt ]

/ adjective kəmˈpækt, kɒm-, ˈkɒm pækt; verb kəmˈpækt; noun ˈkɒm pækt /

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See synonyms for: compact / compacted / compactness on Thesaurus.com

adjective

joined or packed together; closely and firmly united; dense; solid: compact soil.

arranged within a relatively small space: a compact shopping center; a compact kitchen.

designed to be small in size and economical in operation.

solidly or firmly built: the compact body of a lightweight wrestler.

expressed concisely; pithy; terse; not diffuse: a compact review of the week's news.

composed or made (usually followed by of): a book compact of form and content.

Also bicompact .Mathematics. (of a set) having the property that in any collection of open sets whose union contains the given set there exists a finite number of open sets whose union contains the given set; having the property that every open cover has a finite subcover.

verb (used with object)

to join or pack closely together; consolidate; condense.

to make firm or stable.

to form or make by close union or conjunction; make up or compose.

Metallurgy. to compress (metallic or metallic and nonmetallic powders) in a die to be sintered.

to crush into compact form for convenient disposal or for storage until disposal: to compact rubbish.

noun

a small case containing a mirror, face powder, a puff, and sometimes rouge.

Also called compact car . an automobile that is smaller than an intermediate but larger than a subcompact and generally has a combined passenger and luggage volume of 100–110 cu. ft. (2.8–3.1 m3).

Metallurgy. (in powder metallurgy) an object to be sintered formed of metallic or of metallic and nonmetallic powders compressed in a die.

OTHER WORDS FOR compact

2 small, snug.

5 concise, succinct, brief.

8 compress.

9 stabilize, solidify.

See synonyms for compact on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of compact

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin compāctus (past participle of compingere “to shut away, put away, bind together”), equivalent to com- prefix + pag-, stem of pangere “to fix, arrange” + -tus past participle suffix; see com-; cf. peace; pact, compact²)

OTHER WORDS FROM compact

com·pact·ed·ly, adverbcom·pact·ed·ness, nouncom·pact·ly, adverbcom·pact·ness, noun

un·com·pact·ed, adjectivewell-com·pact·ed, adjective

Other definitions for compact (2 of 2)

compact²

[ kom-pakt ]

/ ˈkɒm pækt /

noun

a formal agreement between two or more parties, states, etc.; contract: the proposed economic compact between Germany and France.

OTHER WORDS FOR compact

treaty, pact, entente, convention, concordat.

See synonyms for compact on Thesaurus.com

Origin of compact

First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin compactum, compectum, noun use of neuter of compactus (past participle of compacīscī “to make an agreement”), equivalent to com- prefix + pac- (stem of pacīscī “to secure by negotiation” + -tus past participle ending); see com-; cf. compact¹, pact, peace

synonym study for compact

See agreement.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use compact in a sentence

For more compact laptop drives, things are just a tad more confusing, since they look so similar.
Rip out your computer’s brain and turn it into an external hard drive|Whitson Gordon|November 10, 2020|Popular-Science
This is by far the console’s most glaring downside, especially when the Xbox Series S is super compact.
PlayStation 5 review: PS5 is a sensory game-changer|Elise Favis|November 6, 2020|Washington Post
Thanks to its compact build, I’ve never had to reorganize the camp kitchen to find space for it on the table.
The Gear Our Editors Loved in October|The Editors|November 5, 2020|Outside Online
The compact seeks to have a quorum of states whose Electoral College votes add up to at least 270, agreeing to cast their votes to the candidate who wins the national popular vote.
Colorado joins 15 states in favor of popular vote in presidential elections|Nicole Goodkind|November 5, 2020|Fortune

The Cubii JR compact seated elliptical easily fits under even a small desk, allowing the owner to get work done while getting in a light workout at the same time.
Gift Guide: What you need to work(out) from home|Rachel King|November 2, 2020|Fortune
Rather, that research suggests that size, not compactness, constitutes the decisive factor.
Houston Rising—Why the Next Great American Cities Aren’t What You Think|Joel Kotkin|April 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
ThePg 115 rapidity, the compactness of the sentences, impressed Gaston Paris as very remarkable.
Frdric Mistral|Charles Alfred Downer
No more remarkable test of the efficiency of the sledge straps and the compactness of the load could have been made.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson
A striking feature of this camera is its extreme thinness and all-around compactness.
Kodaks and Kodak Supplies, 1914|Canadian Kodak Company
I don't take my supper till later in the night,' said he, 'and therefore I won't disturb the compactness of the table.
Our Mutual Friend|Charles Dickens
Above all things in these early days must compactness and lightness be studied.
The Way to the West|Emerson Hough

British Dictionary definitions for compact (1 of 2)

compact¹

adjective (kəmˈpækt, ˈkɒmpækt)

closely packed together; dense

neatly fitted into a restricted space

concise; brief

well constructed; solid; firm

(foll by of) composed or made up (of)

denoting a tabloid-sized version of a newspaper that has traditionally been published in broadsheet form

logic (of a relation) having the property that for any pair of elements such that a is related to b, there is some element c such that a is related to c and c to b, as less than on the rational numbers

US and Canadian (of a car) small and economical

verb (kəmˈpækt) (tr)

to pack or join closely together; compress; condense

(foll by of) to create or form by pressing togethersediment compacted of three types of clay

metallurgy to compress (a metal powder) to form a stable product suitable for sintering

noun (ˈkɒmpækt)

a small flat case containing a mirror, face powder, etc, designed to be carried in a woman's handbag

US and Canadian a comparatively small and economical car

metallurgy a mass of metal prepared for sintering by cold-pressing a metal powder

a tabloid-sized version of a newspaper that has traditionally been publis hed in broadsheet form

Derived forms of compact

compacter, nouncompaction, nouncompactly, adverbcompactness, noun

Word Origin for compact

C16: from Latin compactus, from compingere to put together, from com- together + pangere to fasten

British Dictionary definitions for compact (2 of 2)

compact²

/ (ˈkɒmpækt) /

noun

an official contract or agreement

Word Origin for compact

C16: from Latin compactum, from compaciscī to agree, from com- together + paciscī to contract; see pact

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

compact

OTHER WORDS FOR compact

Origin of compact

OTHER WORDS FROM compact

Other definitions for compact (2 of 2)

OTHER WORDS FOR compact

Origin of compact

synonym study for compact

Words related to compact

How to use compact in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for compact (1 of 2)

Derived forms of compact

Word Origin for compact

British Dictionary definitions for compact (2 of 2)

Word Origin for compact