English Reference
adjective

concise

adj.
US /kənˈsaɪs/ UK /kənsˈaɪs/ con·cise

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words.

    expressing much in few words; clear and succinct while remaining comprehensive.

    Simple

    The manager asked for a concise report that only included the main facts.

    In context

    The author provided a concise summary of the complex legal proceedings, managing to capture every essential detail in just two paragraphs.

    Usage

    Usually placed before the noun it describes, such as 'a concise summary' or 'concise instructions'.

    Teacher's tip

    Learners often confuse 'concise' with 'short'. Emphasize that 'concise' implies quality and completeness, whereas 'short' only refers to length.

    wordyverboseprolixlengthy

From Latin concīsus (“cut short”), from concīdere (“cut to pieces”), from caedēre (“to cut, to strike down”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin concīsus
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated