compendious
adjective
com·pen·di·ous
kəm-ˈpen-dē-əs 
: marked by brief expression of a comprehensive matter : concise and comprehensive
a compendious summary
compendiously
adverb
compendiousness
noun
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Compendious comes from Latin compendium, meaning "saving," "shortcut," and, in its most literal sense, "that which is weighed together." Compendium has its source in the Latin verb compendere, meaning "to weigh together."
Synonyms
Examples of compendious in a Sentence
her compendious knowledge of the monarch butterfly
a compendious summary of the referendum before the voters
Recent Examples on the Web
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
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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
Dictionary Entries Near compendious
Cite this Entry
“Compendious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compendious. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
compendious
adjective
com·pen·di·ous
kəm-ˈpen-dē-əs
: marked by a brief presentation of a broad subject : concise
a compendious book
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