succinct

[suh k-singkt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR succinct ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

expressed in few words; concise; terse.

characterized by conciseness or verbal brevity.

compressed into a small area, scope, or compass.

Archaic.

drawn up, as by a girdle.
close-fitting.
encircled, as by a girdle.

Origin of succinct

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin succinctus, past participle of succingere to gird, gather up (one's clothes), prepare for action, equivalent to suc- suc- + cing(ere) to gird, equip + -tus past participle suffix

Related formssuc·cinct·ly, adverbsuc·cinct·ness, nounun·suc·cinct, adjectiveun·suc·cinct·ly, adverb

Synonym study

1, 2. See concise.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for succinct

terse, curt, pithy, blunt, concise, brusque, compact, compendious, condensed, laconic, short, summary

Examples from the Web for succinct

Contemporary Examples of succinct

The scenes are succinct, by and large; the patter of the characters rolls right along, whether you catch their drift or not.
Novelist D. Foy Dubs His Debut ‘Gutter Opera’ And Who Are We To Argue?
J.T. Price
May 12, 2014
Her few comments to the press included a succinct summary of her views on capital punishment.
Judy Clarke, the Defense Lawyer Appointed to Defend Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
Michael Daly
May 1, 2013
Her verdict was succinct: “They are not clothes for playing in, they are clothes for showing off at the airport.”
The Controversial Kids’ Fashion Week
Tom Sykes
March 21, 2013
Then, a succinct slaying of the awful "We Built That" meme which so awkwardly defined the convention in Tampa.
Why the GOP Lost, Part (Insert Number Here)
Justin Green
November 16, 2012
He failed to come up with a succinct new indictment à la Reagan's "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"
Paul Begala on Mitt Romney’s Epic Fail in His GOP Convention Speech
Paul Begala
August 31, 2012

Historical Examples of succinct

This is the most succinct account that we can give of him and his affairs.
Tales And Novels, Volume 3 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
"Better let this Miss Dean alone," was Laura's succinct advise.
Marjorie Dean, College Sophomore
Pauline Lester
This succinct account will not prove unacceptable, we hope, to our readers.
Real Life In London, Volumes I. and II.
Pierce Egan
Presents the subject of astronomy in a succinct, popular form.
A Field Book of the Stars
William Tyler Olcott
A succinct statement of the essentials of the New Testament.
The Convert
Elizabeth Robins

British Dictionary definitions for succinct

succinct

adjective

marked by brevity and clarity; concise

compressed into a small area

archaic

encircled by or as if by a girdle
drawn up tightly; closely fitting

Derived Formssuccinctly, adverbsuccinctness, noun

Word Origin for succinct

C15: from Latin succinctus girt about, from succingere to gird from below, from sub- from below + cingere to gird

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 succinct

adj.

early 15c., "having one's belt fastened tightly," from Middle French succincte, from Latin succinctus "prepared, ready, contracted, short," past participle of succingere "tuck up (clothes for action), gird from below," from sub "up from under" (see sub-) + cingere "to gird" (see cinch). Sense of "brief, concise" first recorded early 15c.