Word
compendium
Phoneticscom·pen·dium
US/kəmˈpɛndiəm/
UK/kəmpˈɛndiəm/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a collection of information or facts about a specific subject, usually found in one book. It is a short but complete summary of a larger topic.
n. a concise but comprehensive collection of information or a detailed summary of a particular subject. Often refers to a single-volume work that gathers diverse materials into a systematic arrangement.
Examples
“The book is a useful compendium of local history.”
“The researcher published a compendium of all known medicinal plants found in the Amazon rainforest.”
“This digital archive serves as a vast compendium of 18th-century legal documents, providing scholars with a centralized resource for comparative analysis across different jurisdictions.”
Examples
simple
“The book is a useful compendium of local history.”
contextual
“The researcher published a compendium of all known medicinal plants found in the Amazon rainforest.”
complex
“This digital archive serves as a vast compendium of 18th-century legal documents, providing scholars with a centralized resource for comparative analysis across different jurisdictions.”
Usage
The plural form can be either 'compendiums' or 'compendia'.
Real-World Examples
“Our reporters share a compendium of debuts, discoveries and (sometimes overdue) appearances in the paper.” “There’s a hefty compendium of Plath’s poetry sitting on her side table but she doesn’t particularly rate it.” “Simply put, the Shahnameh is a compendium of indigenous, pre-Islamic myths, legends, and historical episodes relating to the Irano-Aryans, written in a relatively ‘pure’ form of Modern Persian largely devoid of foreign loanwords.” “H ow to critique a compendium of writings on music by the Pulitzer prize-winning editor of the New Yorker ?” Etymology
From the Latin compendium (“that which is weighed together; a sparing, a saving, an abbreviation”), from com- (“with”) + pendō (“to weigh”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL 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: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/compendium