Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective compendious contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of compendious are concise, laconic, pithy, succinct, summary, and terse. While all these words mean "very brief in statement or expression," compendious applies to what is at once full in scope and brief and concise in treatment.

a compendious dictionary

In what contexts can concise take the place of compendious?

The words concise and compendious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, concise suggests the removal of all that is superfluous or elaborative.

a concise description

When might laconic be a better fit than compendious?

The synonyms laconic and compendious are sometimes interchangeable, but laconic implies brevity to the point of seeming rude, indifferent, or mysterious.

an aloof and laconic stranger

How does the word pithy relate to other synonyms for compendious?

Pithy adds to succinct or terse the implication of richness of meaning or substance.

a comedy sharpened by pithy one-liners

When is succinct a more appropriate choice than compendious?

In some situations, the words succinct and compendious are roughly equivalent. However, succinct implies the greatest possible compression.

a succinct letter of resignation

When can summary be used instead of compendious?

The meanings of summary and compendious largely overlap; however, summary suggests the statement of main points with no elaboration or explanation.

a summary listing of the year's main events

When is it sensible to use terse instead of compendious?

Although the words terse and compendious have much in common, terse implies pointed conciseness.

a terse reply

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of compendious In The Great Miscalculation: The Race to Save New York City’s Citicorp Tower (New York University Press, $27.95), Michael M. Greenburg goes into compendious detail about the debacle. Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025 The curious thing about this compendious, scrupulously researched biography, so rich in basketball and cultural lore, is that the best parts are not about basketball at all. Thomas Beller, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2023 Although employment has begun to recover, the need to create jobs has prompted several Indian states to suspend many of the country’s compendious labour regulations. The Economist, 27 June 2020 Nonetheless, astronomers and astrophysicists came together to write a single compendious paper about the event. Adrian Cho, Science | AAAS, 16 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compendious
Adjective
  • The conversation turned especially poignant when Dern discussed the practical realities facing older performers, noting that the Screen Actors Guild provides no comprehensive health care plan for retired actors.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Our study shows that comprehensive policy changes can meaningfully protect vaccination coverage.
    Anthony Bald, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The initiative focuses on publishing concise, high-quality species descriptions to shorten the gap between discovery and formal recognition drastically.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The other cuts in as needed — concise, disarming, right on cue.
    Alma Rota, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Before any surgery, patients undergo thorough medical and psychological evaluations to ensure readiness, both physically and emotionally.
    Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police are conducting a thorough investigation with the assistance of multiple law enforcement partners.
    Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • And all of that offers a certain salvation, a shelter of sorts from the unjustly brief and linear time we are given.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
  • There will be a brief history of the Honor Wall and a dedication to the late Dan Foster, a Vietnam veteran who served in the Army and is a cofounder of the Alpine Veterans Wall of Honor.
    Linda Mcintosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • All the company had emitted since Gates founded it in 1975 would be gone, the full footprint washed away.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
  • But even when Carr smashes a model boat to smithereens after a professional rejection or Allura imagines herself going full Lemonade on Chase’s sidepiece, their actions feel divorced from any larger context.
    Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Such rights obviously do not include summary execution at sea.
    Mary Ellen O'Connell, The Conversation, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Not surprisingly, given the risk of summary execution, many had initial doubts.
    Yossi Melman, ProPublica, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The Brown family, founders of Brown-Forman, has significantly shaped Louisville through extensive philanthropy over 155 years.
    Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Oct. 2025
  • More than 600 Middlebury students had also joined an online group to share updates of the extensive effort to find Smith, WPTZ reported.
    Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Inside, the main deck lounge is fitted with floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows that afford sweeping views of the ocean.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Spa guests can swim in the indoor heated pool with panoramic views, or indulge in a treatment like the mountain scrub that uses herbs from Metsovo.
    Chadner Navarro, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Compendious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compendious. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

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