succinct
adjective
sə-ˈsiŋ(k)t
Did you know?
A Succinct History of Succinct
The history of succinct might not be short, but it's a cinch to remember. Succinct traces to Latin succinctus ("tightly wrapped, concise"), which comes from the verb cingere ("to gird"), the word that gave us cincture and cinch. In its earliest uses succinct meant "confined" or "girded up," and, as such, it was often used in reference to garments encircled by a band. Eventually, succinct was extended to the realm of insects, where it meant "supported by a band of silk around the middle" (as in "the succinct pupa of a butterfly"). Later, the word was applied to writings. A "succinct" piece of writing is "compressed" or "compact" and uses as few words as possible.
Examples of succinct in a Sentence
Zachary Karabell, Newsweek, 9 Mar. 2009
As Esther Benbassa recounts in her dry but impressively succinct and informative history, they arrived in the Roman province of Gaul in the first centuries of the common era, and soon found themselves trod underfoot by the ascendant Christian church.
—David A. Bell, New Republic, 28 Feb. 2000
In his first work of popular science, English theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking proves himself to be a master of vivid clarity. His title, " A Brief History of Time," is understated even by British standards; in 198 pages Hawking manages no less than a succinct history of cosmology, a concise explanation of general relativity and its intersection with quantum mechanics …
—Richard Rhodes, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 1988
He gave a succinct overview of the expansion project.
a pocket guide that provides succinct explanations for rules of grammar and punctuation
Brooke Migdon, The Hill, 18 June 2025
More than simple collections of stat blocks, these books also provide succinct details for enemies dripping with Warhammer lore.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
Titles were often followed by a cascade of succinct bullet points, replacing the depth and flow of complete paragraphs.
—J. Jasser, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2025
And for those needing a succinct catch-up on all things Panthers ... this is the place for you.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for succinct
Cite this Entry
“Succinct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/succinct. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
succinct
adjective
sə-ˈsiŋ(k)t
Share