compendium

noun

com·​pen·​di·​um kəm-ˈpen-dē-əm 

plural compendiums or compendia kəm-ˈpen-dē-ə 

1

: a brief summary of a larger work or of a field of knowledge : abstract

a one-volume compendium of the multivolume original

2

a

: a list of a number of items

b

: collection, compilation

a compendium of folk tales

Synonyms

• album
• anthology
• collectanea
• compilation
• florilegium
• miscellany
• reader

Examples of compendium in a Sentence

a one-volume compendium of information

He published a compendium of folk tales.

Recent Examples on the Web

The National Climate Assessment is a federal compendium of climate science focused on how climate change is affecting the US, zooming into different regions to assess what has changed, what risks are coming, and how the country is adapting. —Umair Irfan, Vox, 29 Apr. 2025

In describing the paintings that corresponded to the notes in Bochner’s compendium, Baer herself struggled with the problem. —Sarah K. Rich, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025

Terms & Conditions functions as a compendium of Black thought and culture for former Tumblr kids. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Jan. 2025

According to Native Languages of the Americas, a compendium of online materials about more than 800 indigenous languages of the Western Hemisphere, some Native American Tribes consider buzzards to be dirty, unsafe and associated with death, others see their appearance as a warning of danger ahead. —Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin, from Latin, saving, shortcut, from compendere to weigh together, from com- + pendere to weigh — more at pendant

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1