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
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(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
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condensabilitynoun
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overcondenseverb
-
precondenseverb
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recondenseverb
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condensableadjective
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uncondensingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
condensesimple
-
condensessimple
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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:
The clouds, which have been observed during wildfires in Canada and Australia, are created by intense heat that lifts hot smoky air and causes the water vapor to condense into ash.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 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
The researchers also discovered that these DNA loops actually strengthen as chromosomes condense in preparation for division.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2025
Meteorology produces an overwhelming amount of data; it's difficult to condense it into a snappy, TV or digital app-friendly prediction.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2025
Yes, it’s becoming thicker, as if it has pressed up against a glass window and is being forced to condense.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
The method captures the balance between water vapor produced as air rises and water vapor removed as it condenses onto droplets.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026
As the air rises, it cools, and the water vapour condenses into a cloud.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 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
When pressure in the reactor gets too high, a safety valve opens and allows steam to escape into the torus, where it condenses back into water.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
Having spoken before the start of the campaign about how the condensed schedule would be more difficult for smaller nations, O'Neill kept changes to a minimum.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 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
For several years, the teams led by Zeng and Cheng have investigated how these vacuum fluctuations affect condensed matter systems.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026
The following is an edited, condensed version of our conversation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Her eyes were solid green, like all nature had been condensed into a few spoonfuls of organic matter.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
"What this study suggests is that we may be able to offer those same patients a path to meaningful relief in less than one week by condensing 25 TMS treatments over just five days."
From Science Daily ● Feb. 25, 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
A little more condensing would have been welcome.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 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
A set of computer investigations has examined the evolution of a flat, condensing disk of gas and dust of the sort that is thought to lead to stars and planets.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
