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compendious

[ kuhm-pen-dee-uhs ]
/ kəmˈpɛn di əs /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR compendious ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of or like a compendium; containing the substance of a subject, often an exclusive subject, in a brief form; concise: a compendious history of the world.

RELATED WORDS

brief, close, compact, comprehensive, concise, condensed, curt, inclusive, laconic, short, succinct, summary, abbreviated, breviloquent, contracted, synoptic

Nearby words

  1. compd.,
  2. compeer,
  3. compel,
  4. compellation,
  5. compelling,
  6. compendium,
  7. compensable,
  8. compensate,
  9. compensated acidosis,
  10. compensated alkalosis

Origin of compendious

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Latin word compendiōsus. See compendium, -ous
Related formscom·pen·di·ous·ly, adverbcom·pen·di·ous·ness, nounun·com·pen·di·ous, adjective
Can be confusedcompendious voluminous
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for compendious

British Dictionary definitions for compendious

compendious

/ (kəmˈpɛndɪəs) /

adjective

containing or stating the essentials of a subject in a concise form; succinct
Derived Formscompendiously, adverbcompendiousness, noun
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

Word Origin and History for compendious

compendious

adj.

"concise," late 14c., from Old French compendieux, from Latin compendiosus "advantageous, abridged, brief," from compendium (see compendium).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper