compendium

play

noun com·pen·di·um \ kəm-ˈpen-dē-əm \

Definition of compendium

plural compendiums or compendia play \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

See compendium defined for English-language learners

Examples of compendium in a Sentence

a one-volume compendium of information
He published a compendium of folk tales.

Recent Examples of compendium from the Web

But on a global level, Mandarin Chinese dwarfs English in native speakers, ranking first with 898 million, followed by Spanish with 437 million, according to Ethnologue, a compendium of the world’s languages.

— simon romero, The Seattle Times, "Spanish flourishes in U.S., despite creeping political chill," 23 Aug. 2017
But on a global level, Mandarin Chinese dwarfs English in native speakers, ranking first with 898 million, followed by Spanish with 437 million, according to Ethnologue, a compendium of the world’s languages.

— simon romero, New York Times, "Spanish Thrives in the U.S. Despite an English-Only Drive," 23 Aug. 2017
The program contains a compendium of the finest tennis writing.

— jon wertheim, SI.com, "51 Insider Tips for Attending the U.S. Open," 21 Aug. 2017
And that's not the only secret her perennially tear-out-and-bring-to-the-salon-worthy lengths are harboring—here, a compendium of wisdom from Aniston's longtime stylist Chris McMillan and the goddess of follicles herself.

— chelsea peng, Marie Claire, "5 Secrets Behind Jennifer Aniston's Ever-Covetable Hair," 16 Aug. 2017
Practically speaking, what viewers are left with is a flat, workmanlike compendium of apocalyptic portents, bloodless killings and highly derivative sci-fi-fantasy-western images.

— justin chang, latimes.com, "Dimension-hopping fantasy 'The Dark Tower' is hardly fit for a King," 3 Aug. 2017
Their bible is NASA’s massive 50-year Solar Eclipse Canon, a compendium of every eclipse the world will see for decades.

— sarah kaplan, Washington Post, "A lifelong eclipse chaser’s promise to America: ‘You will never be the same’," 17 July 2017
Their bible is NASA's massive 50-year Solar Eclipse Canon, a compendium of every eclipse the world will see for decades.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "A lifelong eclipse chaser's promise to America: 'You will never be the same'," 17 July 2017
He was drawn to Darwin’s compendium of facts, which illustrated the delicate interplay of causes leading to the survival or extinction of species.

— Longreads, "Late in Life, Thoreau Became a Serious Darwinist," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'compendium.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of compendium

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1589

See Words from the same year

compendium Synonyms

Synonyms

album, collectanea, anthology, compilation, florilegium, miscellany, reader

Related Words

almanac, ana, analects, chapbook, digest, garland, symposium; casebook, sourcebook; archives, corpus, library, miscellanea

COMPENDIUM Defined for English Language Learners

compendium

play

noun

Definition of compendium for English Language Learners

: a collection of things (such as photographs, stories, facts, etc.) that have been gathered together and presented as a group especially in the form of a book

Learn More about compendium

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for compendium Spanish Central: Translation of compendium Nglish: Translation of compendium for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of compendium for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up compendium? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

compendium

Definition of compendium

Examples of compendium in a Sentence

Recent Examples of compendium from the Web

Origin and Etymology of compendium

compendium Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

COMPENDIUM Defined for English Language Learners

compendium

Definition of compendium for English Language Learners

Learn More about compendium

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

yeasty

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Let's Talk 'Tea'

8 Words and Phrases from Boxing and Wrestling

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

True or False?

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066

compendium

Definition of compendium

From the M-W Editors

Examples of compendium in a Sentence

Recent Examples of compendium from the Web

Origin and Etymology of compendium

compendium Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

COMPENDIUM Defined for English Language Learners

compendium

Definition of compendium for English Language Learners

Learn More about compendium

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066