Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective compendious contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of compendious are concise, laconic, pithy, succinct, summary, and terse. While all these words mean "very brief in statement or expression," compendious applies to what is at once full in scope and brief and concise in treatment.

a compendious dictionary

In what contexts can concise take the place of compendious?

The words concise and compendious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, concise suggests the removal of all that is superfluous or elaborative.

a concise description

When might laconic be a better fit than compendious?

The synonyms laconic and compendious are sometimes interchangeable, but laconic implies brevity to the point of seeming rude, indifferent, or mysterious.

an aloof and laconic stranger

How does the word pithy relate to other synonyms for compendious?

Pithy adds to succinct or terse the implication of richness of meaning or substance.

a comedy sharpened by pithy one-liners

When is succinct a more appropriate choice than compendious?

In some situations, the words succinct and compendious are roughly equivalent. However, succinct implies the greatest possible compression.

a succinct letter of resignation

When can summary be used instead of compendious?

The meanings of summary and compendious largely overlap; however, summary suggests the statement of main points with no elaboration or explanation.

a summary listing of the year's main events

When is it sensible to use terse instead of compendious?

Although the words terse and compendious have much in common, terse implies pointed conciseness.

a terse reply

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of compendious The curious thing about this compendious, scrupulously researched biography, so rich in basketball and cultural lore, is that the best parts are not about basketball at all. Thomas Beller, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2023 Although employment has begun to recover, the need to create jobs has prompted several Indian states to suspend many of the country’s compendious labour regulations. The Economist, 27 June 2020 Another documents the founding in 1974 — by Joan Nestle, Deborah Edel, Sahli Cavallaro, Pamela Olin and Julia Stanley — of a compendious and still-growing register of lesbian culture called the Herstory Archives. Julianne McShane, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2019 Nonetheless, astronomers and astrophysicists came together to write a single compendious paper about the event. Adrian Cho, Science | AAAS, 16 Oct. 2017 Each event centered on performances of a supreme, compendious Bach masterpiece. James R. Oestreich, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compendious
Adjective
  • In a comprehensive, step-by-step Reddit guide published on r/DHGate, user FabulousNinja8399 shares that this medal signals a seller has achieved the highest grade a store can receive: ACE status.
    Francesca Krempa, StyleCaster, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The sheer scale and complexity mean that truly comprehensive interpretability is still a distant goal.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The song is a concise blast of funky country-rock, with shades of the Allman Brothers, some traditional-country fiddle, and lyrics about a bottle that just won’t empty.
    Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Applicants should therefore focus on providing concise updates that directly impact the reassessment of their application.
    Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Before starting an application server migration, ensure the middleware provider offers comprehensive migration resources and conducts a thorough review of your current architecture.
    Steve Millidge, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
  • The manual work process was as impressive as the thorough understanding of quality choices.
    Mark Holgate, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Notably, economic activity may see a brief improvement as companies and consumers move in advance of the tariffs.
    Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
  • The last two pictures, Trump and Harris, are displayed without biographies, though each has a brief one on the gallery’s website, theyalsoran.com.
    Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Ennis was elevated to full champion status in November 2023 when the sanctioning body stripped Terence Crawford of the belt not long after Crawford unified the welterweight titles with a win over Errol Spence Jr.
    Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Watch the full clip with Ricci and O'Brien in the video, above.
    Lauren Huff, EW.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Ukraine is investigating more than 150,000 possible war crimes committed by Russia, including the summary execution of prisoners and targeted aerial strikes against civilians.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
  • He is accused of acting as the de facto leader of the Davao Death Squad, a group that was responsible for summary executions and the murder or disappearance of more than 1,000 people in and around the city.
    Lisandro Claudio, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Iryna has over 12 years of personal experience with counseling, in addition to taking part in an extensive AI course to further enhance her knowledge of the technology.
    Emma Kershaw, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Simmons said Julius Pierce, who has extensive experience at center, has been working at tackle this spring.
    Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Equipment is generous across the board, with a panoramic sunroof, heated front and rear seats, a 360-degree parking camera and adaptive crise control as standard.
    James Morris, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Hiking here rewards you with panoramic views of the coastline, where hawks circle overhead and the scent of sagebrush floats on the breeze.
    Cliff Lewis, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Compendious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compendious. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

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