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 Another documents the founding in 1974 — by Joan Nestle, Deborah Edel, Sahli Cavallaro, Pamela Olin and Julia Stanley — of a compendious and still-growing register of lesbian culture called the Herstory Archives. Julianne McShane, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2019 Nonetheless, astronomers and astrophysicists came together to write a single compendious paper about the event. Adrian Cho, Science | AAAS, 16 Oct. 2017 Each event centered on performances of a supreme, compendious Bach masterpiece. James R. Oestreich, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compendious
Adjective
  • Rather than sending resumes alone, Alexander Executive Search provides a comprehensive candidate briefing pack.
    William Jones, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Roughly 30,000 records in the directory were explicitly marked as nongovernment, but this label was far from comprehensive.
    Pratheek Rebala, ProPublica, 21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • McVey, 28, has reaped a personal bonus from the concise coaching: he’s been freed up to develop his game by not having to direct traffic as much.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Then draft a concise, personalized cover letter highlighting my strongest fit points.
    Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Key steps like doing thorough keyword analysis, enabling captions for accessibility, crafting clear, meaningful titles and organizing videos by context are essential.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
  • The authors have instead urged that symptoms are best assessed by a thorough clinical history with treatment decisions guided by clinical response and patient preferences.
    Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • In the future, organizations may explore integrating brief breathwork exercises into virtual meetings, including breathing resets during long work sessions and developing digital platforms that offer customizable breathwork routines.
    Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Our brief taste of fall weather gets interrupted today with some rain and thunderstorm chances, though most of the precipitation should land in the morning hours.
    Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The Mountaineers’ offense was on full display, and the senior was a part of the show.
    Emma Moon, Charlotte Observer, 30 Aug. 2025
  • Meanwhile, investors are also still waiting to see the full impact of Trump's sweeping tariffs on the broader economy.
    Maria Aspan, NPR, 30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Not surprisingly, given the risk of summary execution, many had initial doubts.
    Yossi Melman, ProPublica, 7 Aug. 2025
  • The young man risked beatings that would end in summary execution for sneaking in extra food to prisoners who were supposed to be the empire’s work-and-starve-to-death slaves.
    Charles Pellegrino, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • In addition, showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar recently sat down for an extensive interview about the show and its future.
    James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
  • The author initially believed that extensive aerobic exercise alone was sufficient for good health, neglecting the importance of diet.
    Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Its classic mountain charm is enhanced by large decks, an intimate stone patio and large windows capturing panoramic views of the lake.
    David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Monarch Club The ritzy downtown rooftop bar provides panoramic views of Detroit's skyline.
    Dana Afana, Freep.com, 28 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Compendious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compendious. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.

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