compendious

[ kuhm-pen-dee-uhs ]

adjective

1. of or like a compendium; containing the substance of a subject, often an exclusive subject, in a brief form; concise:

   a compendious history of the world.

   Synonyms: packed, succinct, comprehensive, summary

compendious

/ kəmˈpɛndɪəs /

adjective

1. containing or stating the essentials of a subject in a concise form; succinct

Derived Forms

• comˈpendiousness, noun
• comˈpendiously, adverb

Other Words From

• com·pendi·ous·ly adverb
• com·pendi·ous·ness noun
• uncom·pendi·ous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of compendious¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Latin word compendiōsus. See compendium, -ous

Example Sentences

“The book is compendious and revelatory, a statement of the man in his own words, and I found myself knowing my father in new ways through these letters.”

From New York Times

These works don’t attempt to replace the compendious authority of traditional biography but, rather, enter into dialogue with it by reflecting more on some facts in a life and its work than on others.

From New York Times

Sony’s new set is one of the most compendious efforts at archival excavation that the major labels have yet offered.

From New York Times

In this compendious book Newkirk, the founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and Stone, an author and co-author of numerous titles, have separate but closely related agendas.

From New York Times

Michael Kinch’s The End of the Beginning gives an account both personal and compendious.

From Nature