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concise
adjective
con·cise kən-ˈsīs
Synonyms of concise
: marked by brevity of expression or statement : free from all elaboration and superfluous detail
a concise report
a concise definition
concisely adverb
conciseness noun
Did you know?
Many students think that adding unnecessary sentences with long words will make their writing more
impressive. But in fact almost every reader values concision, since concise writing is usually easier to
read, better thought out, and better organized—that is, simply better writing. Words such as short don't
have the full meaning of concise, which usually means not just "brief" but "packed with information".
Synonyms
aphoristic
apothegmatic
brief
capsule
compact
compendious
crisp
curt
elliptical
elliptic
epigrammatic
laconic
monosyllabic
pithy
sententious
succinct
summary
telegraphic
terse
thumbnail
Choose the Right Synonym for concise
CONCISE, TERSE, SUCCINCT, LACONIC, SUMMARY, PITHY, COMPENDIOUS mean very brief in statement
or expression.
CONCISE suggests the removal of all that is superfluous or elaborative.
a concise description
TERSE implies pointed conciseness.
a terse reply
SUCCINCT implies the greatest possible compression.
a succinct letter of resignation
LACONIC implies brevity to the point of seeming rude, indifferent, or mysterious.
an aloof and laconic stranger
SUMMARY suggests the statement of main points with no elaboration or explanation.
a summary listing of the year's main events
PITHY adds to SUCCINCT or TERSE the implication of richness of meaning or substance.
a comedy sharpened by pithy one-liners
COMPENDIOUS applies to what is at once full in scope and brief and concise in treatment.
a compendious dictionary
Examples of concise in a Sentence
That is as clean and concise a summation of a profound and complicated truth as I have come across …
—David Noonan, Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2008
Frye's wit was concise and dry, his erudition compendious.
—Robert M. Adams, New York Times Book Review, 31 Mar. 1991
"I am glad, Mrs. Butler," was the neighbour's concise answer.
—Sir Walter Scott, The Heart of Midlothian, 1818
a clear and concise account of the accident
a concise article on violence in the media that manages to say more than most books on the subject
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More
Refine your key points to be clear and concise—no rambling monologues.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
As the celebration on the floor dispersed to make way for the second national semifinal, Clayton could
be seen greeting every teammate and staffer who offered a handshakes or a hug with a concise
message.
—Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
The drafts, sent back and forth between Bub and trustees, shift dramatically in tone from angry and
defensive to conciliatory and apologetic to concise and professional.
—Carly Flandro, Idaho Statesman, 4 Apr. 2025
Though there are, understandably, emotions involved, being clear, concise and direct with the couple
will save everyone a lot of trouble.
—Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French concis, borrowed from Latin concīsus "(of a
speech, expression) broken off, cut short, terse," from past participle of concīdere "to cut up, break up,
slaughter, chop to pieces," from con- CON- + caedere "to strike, beat, kill, fell (trees, etc.), cut off or
through," of uncertain origin
NOTE: A laryngealist Indo-European reconstruction for caedere would be *kh2ei̯d-, which has no certain
correspondents. Armenian xaytʼem "to sting, bite" has been compared, as well as Old High German heia,
glossing Latin aries "battering ram" (Middle High German hei, heie with the same sense, Middle Dutch
heie "pile driver"), though the latter would assume that the *d/*dh- is a root extension. Moreover, if
heie is the outcome of Germanic *xai̯i̯ō(n), the doubled semivowel (Verschärfung) could be taken to
assume a reconstruction *kh2ei̯H- with an added laryngeal complicating the issue. (See R. Lühr, et al.,
Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen.)
First Known Use
circa 1590, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of concise was circa 1590
See more words from the same year
Rhymes for concise
advice
allspice
device
entice
excise
fordyce
precise
suffice
dice
feis
gneiss
grice
Browse Nearby Words
concipient
concise
concision
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Cite this Entry
Style
MLA
“Concise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concise. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
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Kids Definition
concise
adjective
con·cise kən-ˈsīs
: brief and to the point
a concise summary
concisely adverb
conciseness noun
More from Merriam-Webster on concise
Nglish: Translation of concise for Spanish Speakers
Last Updated: 23 Apr 2025 - Updated example sentences
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