succinct

[ suhk-singkt ]

adjective

1. expressed in few words; concise; terse.
2. characterized by conciseness or verbal brevity.
3. compressed into a small area, scope, or compass.
4. Archaic.
   1. drawn up, as by a girdle.
   2. close-fitting.
   3. encircled, as by a girdle.

succinct

/ səkˈsɪŋkt /

adjective

1. marked by brevity and clarity; concise
2. compressed into a small area
3. archaic.
   1. encircled by or as if by a girdle
   2. drawn up tightly; closely fitting

Derived Forms

• sucˈcinctness, noun
• sucˈcinctly, adverb

Other Words From

• suc·cinct·ly adverb
• suc·cinct·ness noun
• un·suc·cinct adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of succinct¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of succinct¹

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

Synonym Study

See concise.

Example Sentences

The succinct legislation8 essentially required school sports programs to offer equal opportunities to women, relative to their male counterparts, and the effect was immediate.

From FiveThirtyEight

Lawmakers and their investigators threshed through more than 1,000 interviews to present a succinct two-hour opening evening replete with videos, maps, animations, radio calls, and live testimony.

From TIme

“No,” was Belichick’s succinct response when reporters asked him about it.

From Washington Post

Sara may be the best writer I have ever worked with – so crisp and succinct.

From Voice of San Diego

Data stories are succinct materials that boost the problem-solving process and improve productivity.

From Search Engine Watch

In an email exchange a friend said many had repeated this same succinct review but they could never elaborate.

From The Daily Beast

The scenes are succinct, by and large; the patter of the characters rolls right along, whether you catch their drift or not.

From The Daily Beast

Her few comments to the press included a succinct summary of her views on capital punishment.

From The Daily Beast

Her verdict was succinct: “They are not clothes for playing in, they are clothes for showing off at the airport.”

From The Daily Beast

Then, a succinct slaying of the awful "We Built That" meme which so awkwardly defined the convention in Tampa.

From The Daily Beast

He saw Gen. Braddock as he passed on to his defeat, and could give a succinct account of that sanguinary action.

From Project Gutenberg

The tone of polite gravity is gone; what remains is less succinct, but more specific, and in its way effective.

From Project Gutenberg

You might almost as well read dictionaries with a hope of getting a succinct and clear view of language.

From Project Gutenberg

Puccini has, indeed, an almost unparalleled capacity for a kind of orchestral commentary which is both forceful and succinct.

From Project Gutenberg

I do not know where to look for so animated and succinct a rendering of that phase of past theatrical life.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• blunt
• concise
• curt
• pithy
• terse