Meaning & use

compact

adjective·Everyday

Small and neatly arranged, taking up little space compared to what it contains.

See it in a sentence

The compact car was easy to park in the crowded city streets.

Their apartment kitchen was compact but included every appliance they needed.

A note on using this word

As a noun, "compact" can mean a small case for cosmetics or a formal agreement between parties, as in "a trade compact."

Words with a similar meaning

smalldense

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Another way to use it

2. noun

A formal agreement or contract between two or more parties.

The colonies signed a compact establishing rules for self-government.

3. verb

To press or compress something into a smaller, denser mass.

Heavy machinery compacted the soil before the foundation was poured.

Make it your own

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