Word
compendious
Phoneticscom·pen·dious
US/kəmˈpɛndiəs/
UK/kəmpˈɛndɪəs/
Definition
adj. describing something that is short but contains all the important information. You use this to praise a book or report for being both brief and complete.
adj. containing or presenting the essential facts of a subject in a concise but comprehensive way. Typically describes written works or summaries.
Examples
“The guide provides a compendious account of the city's history.”
“The professor recommended the textbook because it offers a compendious overview of organic chemistry without being overly long.”
“His latest publication is a compendious study of the region's flora, managing to document every native species within a single, portable volume.”
Examples
simple
“The guide provides a compendious account of the city's history.”
contextual
“The professor recommended the textbook because it offers a compendious overview of organic chemistry without being overly long.”
complex
“His latest publication is a compendious study of the region's flora, managing to document every native species within a single, portable volume.”
Usage
Typically used attributively before a noun.
Real-World Examples
“At 342 pages, it is compendious and meticulously researched, yet ultimately workmanlike in delivery.” “Practically speaking, Dr Spock’s compendious Baby and Child Care manual probably had a greater impact on the lives of postwar Americans (and some Britons) than any other title in this list so far.” “It is a model of meticulous scholarship, as authoritative as it is compendious in 700 pages of tiny print with 1,700 footnotes and 13 appendices (one of them devoted entirely to limericks about bishops).” “Such is the paradox that provides David Abulafia, in his magnificent and quite stunningly compendious history of the Mediterranean, with a key to unlocking its rich and turbulent past.” Etymology
From Old French compendieux, itself from Latin compendiosus ("advantageous, abridged, brief"), ultimately from compendium.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Rare
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/compendious