concise

adjective con·cise \kən-ˈsīs\

: using few words : not including extra or unnecessary information

Full Definition of CONCISE

: marked by brevity of expression or statement : free from all elaboration and superfluous detail <a concise report> <a concise definition>

— con·cise·ly adverb

— con·cise·ness noun

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Examples of CONCISE

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
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Origin of CONCISE

Latin concisus, from past participle of concidere to cut up, from com- + caedere to cut, strike

First Known Use: circa 1590

Related to CONCISE

Synonyms: aphoristic, apothegmatic, brief, capsule, compact, compendious, crisp, curt, elliptical (or elliptic), epigrammatic, laconic, monosyllabic, pithy, sententious, succinct, summary, telegraphic, terse, thumbnail

Antonyms: circuitous, circumlocutory, diffuse, long-winded, prolix, rambling, verbose, windy, wordy

Synonym Discussion of 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>.