concise Hear it!

concise Definition

con·cise (kən sīs′)

adjective

brief and to the point; short and clear

Etymology: L concisus, cut off, brief, pp. of concidere, to cut off < com-, intens. + caedere, to cut: see -cide

concise Related Forms

con·cise′ly adverb con·cise′·ness noun

concise Synonyms

concise

modif.

succinct, brief, condensed, terse, pithy, laconic, compact, compressed, condensed, tight, compendious, cogent, pointed, to the point, economical, short and sweet*; see also short 2, terse.

concise implies the stating of much in few words, by removing all superfluous or expanded details a concise summary; terse may add to this the connotation of polished smoothness and cogency a terse style or of clipped and abrupt expression a terse command; laconic suggests brevity to the point of curtness, ambiguity, or uncommunicativeness ``You'll see,"" was his laconic reply; succinct implies clarity but compactness in the fewest words possible she spoke in succinct phrases; pithy suggests forcefulness and wit resulting from compactness pithy axioms

concise Usage Examples

Adjective complement with noun phrase

keep: Clear language and the liberal use of bullets keep information concise and easy to find.

Modifies a noun

  • summary: The first line should always be a short, concise summary of the object's purpose.
  • overview: The Strategy Behind Florida's " truth " Campaign 2001: Concise readable overview of the elements of Florida's successful youth orientated campaign.
  • description: A concise description of what steps you must take to make the problem appear.
  • manner: The information also needs to be recorded in a concise, simple manner in the patient's notes.
  • explanation: Quick guides are concise explanations of topics or issues in the news.
  • biography: Kings and Queens Index - A nice set of concise biographies of Britain's Kings and Queens, and some of their courtiers.

Modifying Another Word

  • admirably: The names dropped in the fake biog give some indication of what's on offer among the album's 14 admirably concise tracks.
  • relatively: A simple A-Z such as this cannot be relatively concise AND comprehensive.
  • reasonably: This book aims to provide a reasonably concise guide to modern ideas about medical education.
  • extremely: Because the Sutras were probably intended for learning by heart, they are extremely concise and consequently are often hard to fathom.
  • yet: The Verdict McCutcheon on Inheritance Tax is comprehensive in its coverage of IHT and yet concise in its commentary.
  • very: Chinese mathematics was, like their language, very concise.

Used with adjective complement

  • provide: We are able to carry out short or long-term diagnoses, and provide concise, objective and helpful feedback.
  • keep: Letters should be kept concise, and the editor reserves his right to cut text as required.
  • write: If you can write concise, grammatically correct English, this is the route to go.
  • give: This handbook is the first to give concise, comprehensive guidance to the selection of building materials from an environmentally conscious point of view.
  • say: We have tried to reduce the amount of scrolling you will have to do by making what we are saying more concise.
  • produce: CFA Archeology understands the importance of producing concise, high quality publication material.