Compendious — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /kəm-ˈpen-dē-əs/ com·pen·di·ous

Meaning & Definition of Compendious

Compendious (adjective)

  1. marked by brief expression of a comprehensive matter, concise and comprehensive; also, comprehensive

Compendious (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. covering everything or all important points

    "her compendious knowledge of the monarch butterfly"

    similar: all-embracing, all-in (chiefly British), all-inclusive, broad-gauge, complete, comprehensive, cover-all, cyclopedic, embracive, encyclopedic, exhaustive, full, global, in-depth, inclusive, omnibus, panoramic, thorough, universal
    related: broad, catholic, encyclical, general, inclusionary, overall, cosmic, extensive, far, far-reaching, grand, large, panoptic, sweeping, vast, wide, wide-ranging, blanket, indiscriminate, unrestricted
    near: circumscribed, limited, narrow, restricted, specialized, exact, precise, individual, singular, specific, incomplete, patchy, sketchy

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

    "a compendious summary of the referendum before the voters"

    similar: aphoristic, apothegmatic, brief, capsule, compact, 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

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Compendious

The most common words with a similar meaning to Compendious:

Chiefly British: all-in
all-embracing, all-inclusive, broad-gauge, complete, comprehensive, cover-all, cyclopedic, embracive, encyclopedic, exhaustive, full, global, in-depth, inclusive, omnibus, panoramic, thorough, universal, aphoristic, apothegmatic, brief, capsule, compact, concise, crisp, curt, elliptical, epigrammatic, laconic, monosyllabic, pithy, sententious, succinct, summary, telegraphic, terse, thumbnail

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Compendious

Words with the opposite meaning of Compendious:

circuitous, circumlocutory, diffuse, long-winded, prolix, rambling, verbose, windy, wordy

Related Words for Compendious

broad, catholic, encyclical, general, inclusionary, overall, cosmic, extensive, far, far-reaching, grand, large, panoptic, sweeping, vast, wide, wide-ranging, blanket, indiscriminate, unrestricted, abrupt, blunt, brusque, short, snippety, snippy, abbreviated, abridged, condensed, curtailed

Near Antonyms of Compendious

circumscribed, limited, narrow, restricted, specialized, exact, precise, individual, singular, specific, incomplete, patchy, sketchy, pleonastic, redundant, repetitious, tautological, tautologous, enlarged, expanded, supplemented, embellished, embroidered, exaggerated, inflated

Word Forms of Compendious

Derived words: compendiously (adverb), compendiousness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Compendious

Middle English compendious, compendiose, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French compendieux, borrowed from Latin compendiōsus "advantageous, short (of a route), both comprehensive and succinct," from compendium "profit, short cut, abridgement, summary" + -ōsus -ous compendium

First known use: 14th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Compendious

What does "Compendious" mean?

"Compendious" means marked by brief expression of a comprehensive matter, concise and comprehensive; also, comprehensive. As an adjective, it is defined as: marked by brief expression of a comprehensive matter, concise and comprehensive; also, comprehensive. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Compendious"?

Other words for "Compendious" include all-embracing, all-in, all-inclusive, broad-gauge, complete, comprehensive, cover-all and cyclopedic. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Compendious" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Compendious"?

There are 74 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Compendious". Common alternatives include all-embracing, all-in, all-inclusive, broad-gauge, complete, comprehensive, cover-all, cyclopedic, embracive and encyclopedic.

What is the opposite of "Compendious"?

Antonyms of "Compendious" include circuitous, circumlocutory, diffuse, long-winded, prolix, rambling, verbose and windy. Near antonyms include circumscribed, limited, narrow and restricted.

How do you use "Compendious" in a sentence?

Examples of "Compendious" in a sentence: "her compendious knowledge of the monarch butterfly"; "a compendious summary of the referendum before the voters".

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

"Compendious" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Compendious"?

"Compendious" is pronounced /kəm-ˈpen-dē-əs/ and divided into syllables as com·pen·di·ous.

What is the origin of the word "Compendious"?

"Compendious" comes from Middle English compendious, compendiose, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French compendieux, borrowed from Latin compendiōsus "advantageous, short (of a route), both comprehensive and succinct," from compendium "profit, short cut, abridgement, summary" + -ōsus -ous compendium. First known use: 14th century.