Main Entry: con·cise

Pronunciation: \kən-ˈsīs\

Function: adjective

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

Date: circa 1590

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

— con·cise·ly adverb

— con·cise·ness noun

synonyms 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>.