concise

American  

[kuhn-sahys] / kənˈsaɪs /

adjective

1. expressing or covering much in few words; brief in form but comprehensive in scope; succinct; terse.

   a concise explanation of the company's retirement plan.

   Synonyms:

   laconic, compendious, pithy

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concise British  

/ kənˈsaɪs /

adjective

1. expressing much in few words; brief and to the point

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Related Words

Concise, succinct, terse all refer to speech or writing that uses few words to say much. Concise usually implies that unnecessary details or verbiage have been eliminated from a more wordy statement: a concise summary of the speech. Succinct, on the other hand, implies that the message is as originally composed and is expressed in as few words as possible: a succinct statement of the problem. Terse sometimes suggests brevity combined with wit or polish to produce particularly effective expression: a terse, almost aphoristic, style. It may also suggest brusqueness or curtness: a terse reply that was almost rude.

Other Word Forms

• concisely adverb
• conciseness noun

Etymology

Origin of concise

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin concīsus “cut short” (past participle of concīdere ), equivalent to con- con- + -cīd- (combining form of caedere “to cut”) + -tus past participle ending

Example Sentences

In turn, each player makes a distinct statement, yet these are concise and never without context; they sound less like solos than smart, overlapping dialogue.

From The Wall Street Journal

“A Christmas Carol” is a perfectly concise tale all about how the holiday spirit can change not just our minds, but our hearts, too.

From Salon

Google's AI Overviews, which aim to provide concise summaries of search results, have also come under criticism and mockery for errors.

From BBC

But a more concise assessment occurs earlier: “Controversy was her oxygen.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Rather, he meant that he would be brief, concise, and to the point—in a word, pithy.

From Literature

Related Words

• pithy
• succinct
• terse