Meaning & use
concise
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Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Giving all necessary information in a short, clear way, without wasted words.
Grammar: Gradable; used before a noun or after a linking verb: a concise summary, keep it concise.
Patterns
- concise summary
- concise explanation
- keep something concise
- a concise way of saying something
Please send a concise summary of the report.
Her answer was concise but complete.
A concise style helps busy readers.
Word forms
| comparative | more concise |
|---|---|
| superlative | most concise |
Common combinations
- concise summary
- The nurse gave a concise summary of the visit.
- clear and concise
- Keep the instructions clear and concise.
- concise explanation
- We need a concise explanation for the delay.
- keep it concise
- For the poster, keep it concise and visual.
Synonyms and how they differ
- brief
- Brief means short, but it may leave things out; concise suggests short and still complete.
- succinct
- Succinct is compact and polished, often about speech or writing; concise is broader and learner-friendly.
- compact
- Compact emphasizes tight structure; concise emphasizes saving words while keeping needed content.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: concise or brief? concise or precise?
concise vs brief
Brief only says short; concise strongly implies short without losing necessary information.
concise vs precise
Precise means exact in detail; concise means economical in words.
Practice
The memo must be ___ so executives can read it fast without missing key facts.
Choose one answer.
Concise fits because the memo must be both short and complete. Brief is tempting, but it can mean merely short and possibly incomplete; wordy and vague are opposite in effect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “concise”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.