Compendiousness

/kəmˈpɛndiəsnəs/ noun

Definition

The quality or state of being compendious; the combination of being concise and comprehensive at the same time.

Etymology

From compendious plus the noun-forming suffix -ness, which creates nouns indicating qualities or states. Compendious derives from Latin compendium, originally meaning 'a saving of expense.'

Kelly Says

Compendiousness is a paradox in English—the word itself is long and cumbersome, yet it describes the *virtue* of brevity and efficiency. It's the kind of irony linguists notice: we often name qualities with words that don't embody them (like 'monosyllabic,' which has five syllables).

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