Compact — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb noun /kəm-ˈpakt/ (adjective) /ˈkäm-ˌpakt/ (noun) com·pact

Meaning & Definition of Compact

Compact (adjective)

  1. predominantly formed or filled, composed, made
  2. having a dense structure or parts or units closely packed or joined
  3. not diffuse or verbose

Compact (verb)

  1. to make up by connecting or combining, compose
  2. to knit or draw together, combine
  3. to press together, compress

Compact (noun)

  1. something that is compact or compacted:
  2. a small cosmetic case (as for compressed powder)
  3. an automobile smaller than an intermediate but larger than a subcompact
  4. an agreement or covenant between two or more parties

Compact (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having a consistency that does not easily yield to pressure

    "a mattress with a compact foam core"

    similar: firm, hard, rigid, solid, stiff, unyielding
    related: case-hardened, compacted, compressed, hardened, indurated, stiffened, tempered, close, dense, heavy, thick, thickset, inelastic, inflexible, ramrod, unbending, condensed, adamantine, rocklike, sturdy, substantial, impenetrable, impermeable, nonporous
    opposite: flabby, soft, spongy, squashy, squishy
    near: loose, scattered, thin, bendable, elastic, flexible, malleable, pliable, pliant, supple, droopy, flaccid, floppy, lank, limp, slack, airy, light, permeable, porous, ultrasoft

  2. having little space between items or parts

    "compact soil that should provide good support for the plant"

    similar: close, crowded, dense, jam-packed, packed, serried, thick, tight
    related: crammed, jammed, overcrowded, crushed, massed, pressed, squeezed, wall-to-wall, airtight, snug, compacted, compressed, condensed, congested, firm, hard, solid, impenetrable, impermeable, impervious
    opposite: airy, loose, open, uncrowded
    near: commodious, roomy, spacious

  3. marked by the use of few words to convey much information or meaning

    "compact prose without a single wasted word"

    similar: aphoristic, apothegmatic, brief, capsule, compendious, concise, crisp, curt, elliptical, epigrammatic, laconic, monosyllabic, pithy, sententious, succinct, summary, telegraphic, terse, thumbnail
    related: abrupt, blunt, brusque, short, snippety, snippy, abbreviated, abridged, condensed, curtailed, shortened, meaty, substantial, meaningful, significant, well-turned
    opposite: circuitous, circumlocutory, diffuse, long-winded, prolix, rambling, verbose, windy, wordy
    near: pleonastic, redundant, repetitious, tautological, tautologous, enlarged, expanded, supplemented, embellished, embroidered, exaggerated, inflated

Compact (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a formal agreement between two or more nations or peoples

    "a five-nation compact to control drug traffic"

    similar: accord, alliance, convention, covenant, pact, treaty
    related: entente, entente cordiale, bargain, bond, charter, concord, contract, deal, settlement, understanding, projet

  2. an arrangement about action to be taken

    "the two made a compact never to artificially prolong the other's life in the event of incapacitating illness or injury"

    similar: accord, agreement, bargain, contract, convention, covenant, deal, disposition, pact, settlement, understanding
    related: charter, treaty, binder, pledge, promise, alliance, association, entente, entente cordiale, league, partnership, acceptance, approval, assent, concurrence, consent, OK

Compact (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to bring (something) to a central point or under a single control

    "the media giant decided to compact all of its far-flung operations onto a single site"

    similar: center, centralize, concenter, concentrate, consolidate, unify, unite
    related: coordinate, harmonize, integrate, orchestrate, blend, coalesce, combine, fuse, incorporate, merge, reduce, conjoin, join, link, assemble, collect, colligate, gather, reunify, reunite
    opposite: decentralize, deconcentrate, spread (out)
    near: segregate, separate

  2. to reduce in size or volume by or as if by pressing parts or members together

    "compact the snow into a tight ball for throwing"

    similar: capsule, capsulize, collapse, compress, condense, constrict, constringe, contract, narrow (down), squeeze, telescope
    related: cram, crowd, jam, jam-pack, pack, abbreviate, abridge, curtail, shorten, boil down, downsize, shrink, concentrate, consolidate, simplify, streamline, decrease, diminish, lessen
    opposite: decompress, expand, open, outspread, outstretch
    near: dilate, disperse, dissipate, scatter, distend, inflate, swell

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Compact

The most common words with a similar meaning to Compact:

firm, hard, rigid, solid, stiff, unyielding, close, crowded, dense, jam-packed, packed, serried, thick, tight, aphoristic, apothegmatic, brief, capsule, compendious, concise, crisp, curt, elliptical, epigrammatic, laconic, monosyllabic, pithy, sententious, succinct, summary, telegraphic, terse, thumbnail, accord, alliance, convention, covenant, pact, treaty, agreement

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Compact

Words with the opposite meaning of Compact:

flabby, soft, spongy, squashy, squishy, airy, loose, open, uncrowded, circuitous, circumlocutory, diffuse, long-winded, prolix, rambling, verbose, windy, wordy, decentralize, deconcentrate, spread (out), decompress, expand, outspread, outstretch

Related Words for Compact

case-hardened, compacted, compressed, hardened, indurated, stiffened, tempered, heavy, thickset, inelastic, inflexible, ramrod, unbending, condensed, adamantine, rocklike, sturdy, substantial, impenetrable, impermeable, nonporous, crammed, jammed, overcrowded, crushed, massed, pressed, squeezed, wall-to-wall, airtight

Near Antonyms of Compact

scattered, thin, bendable, elastic, flexible, malleable, pliable, pliant, supple, droopy, flaccid, floppy, lank, limp, slack, light, permeable, porous, ultrasoft, commodious, roomy, spacious, pleonastic, redundant, repetitious, tautological, tautologous, enlarged, expanded, supplemented

Word Forms of Compact

Inflections: compacted, compacting, compacts

Derived words: compactly (adverb), compactness (noun), compactible (adjective), compactor (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Compact

Middle English, firmly put together, from Latin compactus, from past participle of compingere to put together, from com- + pangere to fasten pact

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Compact

Words & Phrases Containing Compact

compact disc, compact fluorescent light

Frequently Asked Questions about Compact

What does "Compact" mean?

"Compact" means predominantly formed or filled, composed, made. As an an adjective, a verb and a noun, it is defined as: predominantly formed or filled, composed, made. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Compact"?

Other words for "Compact" include firm, hard, rigid, solid, stiff, unyielding, close and crowded. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Compact" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Compact"?

There are 164 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Compact". Common alternatives include firm, hard, rigid, solid, stiff, unyielding, close, crowded, dense and jam-packed.

What is the opposite of "Compact"?

Antonyms of "Compact" include flabby, soft, spongy, squashy, squishy, airy, loose and open. Near antonyms include scattered, thin, bendable and elastic.

How do you use "Compact" in a sentence?

Examples of "Compact" in a sentence: "a mattress with a compact foam core"; "compact soil that should provide good support for the plant"; "compact prose without a single wasted word".

Is "Compact" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Compact" can be used as an adjective, a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Compact" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Compact" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Compact"?

"Compact" is pronounced /kəm-ˈpakt/ as an adjective and /ˈkäm-ˌpakt/ as a noun and divided into syllables as com·pact.