condense
To make something shorter or more compact while retaining essential content
Examples
In a meeting
“Can you condense this report to just the key findings?”
Over coffee
“I need to condense my packing list before this trip.”
Why this word
shorten
Condense means reducing while retaining essential content, while shorten just means making briefer without implying concentration of meaning
compress
Condense implies removing unnecessary parts while keeping substance, while compress suggests squeezing without necessarily removing content
reduce
Condense specifically means making more concise or concentrated, while reduce is general decrease without the implication of distilling essence
Usage tip
Use when you want to shorten something without losing its core meaning; works well for presentations, reports, or any lengthy content
Etymology
Latin 'condensare' meaning 'to make dense' from 'com-' (together) + 'densus' (dense, thick)
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Related words
broach
To bring up or introduce a topic for discussion
streamline
To make a process or system more efficient by simplifying or eliminating unnecessary steps.
concise
Giving a lot of information clearly in few words.
ambiguous
Open to more than one interpretation; not clear or decided.
convey
To communicate or make an idea, feeling, or meaning known.
reiterate
To say something again for emphasis or clarity.