1
2
a
: having a dense structure or parts or units closely packed or joined
a compact woolen
compact bone
b
: not diffuse or verbose
a compact statement
c
: occupying a small volume by reason of efficient use of space
a compact camera
a compact formation of troops
d
: short-bodied, solid, and without excess flesh
He had a small, compact body that looked full of life.—
D. H. Lawrence
D. H. Lawrence3
: being a topological space and especially a metric space with the property that for any collection of open sets which contains it there is a subset of the collection with a finite number of elements which also contains it
compacted; compacting; compacts
1
: to make up by connecting or combining : compose
: to become compacted
com·pact
ˈkäm-ˌpakt 
: something that is compact or compacted:
a
: a small cosmetic case (as for compressed powder)
b
: an automobile smaller than an intermediate but larger than a subcompact
com·pact
ˈkäm-ˌpakt
: an agreement or covenant between two or more parties
Synonyms
Examples of compact in a Sentence
Adjective
The drill has a compact design.
the apartment's compact floor plan
The cabin was compact but perfectly adequate.
He is compact and muscular.
He has a compact body.
Verb
The snow had compacted into a hard icy layer.
the media giant decided to compact all of its far-flung operations onto a single site
Noun (2)
a five-nation compact to control drug traffic
the two made a compact never to artificially prolong the other's life in the event of incapacitating illness or injury
Recent Examples on the WebSteve Bender, Southern Living, 10 May 2024
Amazon's Echo Show smart screen takes the compact design and reliable sound of the Echo smart speaker and sticks a screen onto it.
—K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 10 May 2024
Its poles grow very close to each other, forming compact clusters of impenetrable masses.
—Trilce Estrada Olvera, The Arizona Republic, 10 May 2024
Microsoft introduced a compact mode for its Xbox app on Windows last year, which is designed to improve the handheld experience.
—Tom Warren, The Verge, 8 May 2024
The Beach Camper, meanwhile, ups seating capacity to seven and comes with a compact kitchenette.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 8 May 2024
Prior attempts to create holographic AR displays faced challenges producing compact devices with high-quality 3D images.
—IEEE Spectrum, 8 May 2024
The brand-new unit is compact — 226 square feet — but comes furnished with an air conditioner, induction cooktop, refrigerator, laundry machine and plenty of cabinet space.
—Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024
Keep reading for more lightweight and compact yet spacious bags worth grabbing starting at just $10.
—Lauren Fischer, Travel + Leisure, 29 Apr. 2024
Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 11 May 2024
Engineers compact the mixture of asphalt binder and aggregates together at an elevated temperature, about 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius), which glues the aggregates together into the final product, called asphalt concrete.
—Mansour Solaimanian, The Conversation, 10 May 2024
Crushed by rocks and compacted by thousands of years of sediment, her skull was flattened to less than an inch thick.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 May 2024
Then layers of sediment deposited over thousands of years compacted it.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 3 May 2024
Perlite in the mix also helps retain water and nutrients and keeps the soil from becoming compacted.
—Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 May 2024
Carefully remove the cast-iron pan from the oven and spread the potato mixture in the pan, pushing it down to compact the potatoes.
—Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2024
Goldfarb: One of the challenges is that often the soil is really compacted.
—Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2024
With the pull of a lever, a worker activates the hopper’s powerful hydraulic jaw, which chomps down on the trash and compacts it.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Mekela Panditharatne, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
Click here] After federal lawmakers missed the initial deadline for approving a new compact with the Marshall Islands, Congress finally agreed to extend the relationship with the Pacific island nation as well as similar agreements with Micronesia and Palau.
—Alex Thomas, arkansasonline.com, 17 Mar. 2024
The security compacts were successfully renewed for another 20 years last May and were supposed to be implemented Oct. 1.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 18 Feb. 2024
According to some secessionists, the Wide Awakes had already broken the compact that held the states together.
—Jon Grinspan, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2024
To get around the 2018 constitutional amendment, the compact required all online sports bets from players in Florida be placed via the tribe’s servers.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024
The compacts ensure agencies share resources in the event of a large emergency and the cancellations have left some residents uneasy.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024
Both states’ legislatures have considered bills to join the compact.
—Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2024
The pari-mutuel firms also sued DeSantis and leaders of the Florida Legislature, which authorized the compact, in a case pending before the Florida Supreme Court.
—Mike Schneider, Fortune, 11 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Look for compact cultivars with burgundy or deep plum foliage that contrasts with the bright flowers, or a green variety covered in drifts of white blooms.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 10 May 2024
Amazon's Echo Show smart screen takes the compact design and reliable sound of the Echo smart speaker and sticks a screen onto it.
—K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 10 May 2024
Its poles grow very close to each other, forming compact clusters of impenetrable masses.
—Trilce Estrada Olvera, The Arizona Republic, 10 May 2024
Microsoft introduced a compact mode for its Xbox app on Windows last year, which is designed to improve the handheld experience.
—Tom Warren, The Verge, 8 May 2024
The Beach Camper, meanwhile, ups seating capacity to seven and comes with a compact kitchenette.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 8 May 2024
Prior attempts to create holographic AR displays faced challenges producing compact devices with high-quality 3D images.
—IEEE Spectrum, 8 May 2024
The brand-new unit is compact — 226 square feet — but comes furnished with an air conditioner, induction cooktop, refrigerator, laundry machine and plenty of cabinet space.
—Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024
Keep reading for more lightweight and compact yet spacious bags worth grabbing starting at just $10.
—Lauren Fischer, Travel + Leisure, 29 Apr. 2024
Verb
This local's guide to compact, walkable Florence, Italy, shares the best restaurants, shops, and museums to visit on your trip.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 11 May 2024
Engineers compact the mixture of asphalt binder and aggregates together at an elevated temperature, about 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius), which glues the aggregates together into the final product, called asphalt concrete.
—Mansour Solaimanian, The Conversation, 10 May 2024
Crushed by rocks and compacted by thousands of years of sediment, her skull was flattened to less than an inch thick.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 May 2024
Then layers of sediment deposited over thousands of years compacted it.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 3 May 2024
Perlite in the mix also helps retain water and nutrients and keeps the soil from becoming compacted.
—Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 May 2024
Carefully remove the cast-iron pan from the oven and spread the potato mixture in the pan, pushing it down to compact the potatoes.
—Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2024
Goldfarb: One of the challenges is that often the soil is really compacted.
—Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2024
With the pull of a lever, a worker activates the hopper’s powerful hydraulic jaw, which chomps down on the trash and compacts it.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Noun
While not unwelcome, the success of the compact will depend on how its commitments are executed.
—Mekela Panditharatne, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
Click here] After federal lawmakers missed the initial deadline for approving a new compact with the Marshall Islands, Congress finally agreed to extend the relationship with the Pacific island nation as well as similar agreements with Micronesia and Palau.
—Alex Thomas, arkansasonline.com, 17 Mar. 2024
The security compacts were successfully renewed for another 20 years last May and were supposed to be implemented Oct. 1.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 18 Feb. 2024
According to some secessionists, the Wide Awakes had already broken the compact that held the states together.
—Jon Grinspan, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2024
To get around the 2018 constitutional amendment, the compact required all online sports bets from players in Florida be placed via the tribe’s servers.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024
The compacts ensure agencies share resources in the event of a large emergency and the cancellations have left some residents uneasy.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024
Both states’ legislatures have considered bills to join the compact.
—Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2024
The pari-mutuel firms also sued DeSantis and leaders of the Florida Legislature, which authorized the compact, in a case pending before the Florida Supreme Court.
—Mike Schneider, Fortune, 11 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'compact.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to compact
Dictionary Entries Near compact
Cite this Entry
“Compact.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compact. Accessed 17 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
compact
2 of 4 verb1
: to draw together : combine, consolidate
2
: to make or become compact : compress
compact
3 of 4 noun
com·pact
ˈkäm-ˌpakt
1
: a small cosmetic case
2
: a somewhat small automobile
compact
4 of 4 noun
com·pact
ˈkäm-ˌpakt
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English compact "firmly put together," from Latin compactus (same meaning), from compingere "to join," from com- "together" and pangere "to fasten"
Noun
from Latin compactum "agreement," derived from compacisci "to make an agreement," from com- "with, together" and pacisci "to agree"
Medical Definition
: having a dense structure without small cavities or cells
compact bone
compare cancellous
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