GRE Words for Brief and Concise

These 8 GRE words all share the meaning of brief and concise. Studying them as one cluster is far more efficient than learning each in isolation, because the GRE tests words by how they relate to each other. Each entry below links to a full definition page with example sentences and memory hooks.

Why this cluster matters

On Sentence Equivalence you must choose two words that give the sentence the same meaning. That means the answer is almost always a synonym pair pulled from a cluster like this one. Watch the connotation tone on each word: a positive and a negative word rarely form a correct pair, even when their definitions look close.

The 8 words

aphoristicadjectivePositive tone

Containing or characterized by aphorisms; concise and memorable

compendiousadjectivePositive tone

Containing a lot of information in a concise form; comprehensive yet brief

condensedadjectiveNeutral tone

Made denser or more concentrated; shortened or abridged

epigrammaticadjectivePositive tone

Concise, clever, and memorable in expression

laconicadjectiveNeutral tone

Using very few words; concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious

pithyadjectivePositive tone

Concise and forcefully expressive

succinctadjectivePositive tone

Briefly and clearly expressed

terseadjectiveNeutral tone

Sparing in the use of words; abrupt

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