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Synonyms

concision

American  
[kuhn-sizh-uhn] / kənˈsɪʒ ən /

noun

  1. concise quality; brevity; terseness.

  2. Archaic. a cutting up or off; mutilation.


concision British  
/ kənˈsɪʒən /

noun

  1. the quality of being concise; brevity; terseness

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of concision

1350–1400; Middle English (< Middle French ) < Latin concīsiōn- (stem of concīsiō ), equivalent to concīs ( us ) concise + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

The noun concision means briefness or brevity. If it's taken you only two minutes to describe all nine seasons of your favorite TV show, you've done it with concision. In the 1500s, concision meant "a cutting away" or "a mutilation," from the Latin concidere, "to cut off or cut to pieces." For some wordy writers, an editor's emphasis on concision (cutting out extra words) might feel as violent as that, but really it's simply a matter of becoming more concise, or short and to the point.

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Vocabulary lists containing concision

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.

Its orotund prose certainly differs from the lean muscularity of the Second Inaugural or the elegiac concision of the Gettysburg Address.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 7, 2025

His exuberant acting benefits from the severity of Beckett’s concision.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2025

The dealer Emmanuel Di Donna wanted to draw out the connections between the two artists, who both had a talent for concision as well as a playful side.

From New York Times • May 3, 2024

Straight news delivered with concision and insightful analysis still has value and theoretically, is what the audience wants.

From Salon • Aug. 17, 2023

Dr. Merkle gave a short laugh which did not show her teeth, and inquired with concision if Charity supposed she ran the establishment for her own amusement?

From Summer by Wharton, Edith

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