What does terseness mean?
Terseness is the quality of being terse: expressing an idea in few words, with no unnecessary detail. It describes concise, often forceful language rather than mere shortness. For example, a writer's terseness can make a description memorable and efficient, while a speaker's terseness may make a reply seem direct, professional, or even abrupt. The word is especially useful when discussing style, editing, public speaking, and the economy of written or spoken language. It carries a generally approving connotation, since brevity is often valued in communication, but context determines whether it sounds elegant or curt. Terseness is also a useful reminder that clarity does not necessarily require length: a carefully chosen word can carry more force than a long paragraph. Its precise English form comes from the adjective terse, ultimately from Latin tersus, meaning “clean, compact, or concise.”
nounThe quality of being terse; brevity and concision in expression. It can also suggest that something is expressed with economy and force.
- The quality of expressing something briefly, concisely, and without unnecessary detail.
"The editor admired the precision and terseness of the report."
"His terseness made every question seem like an invitation to end the discussion."
"The manuscript's terseness gives its descriptions unusual clarity and force."
Terseness is normally an uncountable noun and is not used in the plural.
"The guide praised the book's clarity and terseness."
Terseness turns brevity into an art: sometimes one carefully chosen word says more than a paragraph.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does terseness come from?
The noun terseness was formed from the adjective terse, which was borrowed from Latin tersus, meaning “clean, compact, or concise.” In English, terse developed its modern sense of brief but forceful expression, and terseness names that quality. The related adverb tersely follows the same root, while French terse and Italian terso are later borrowings of the Latin-derived word.
How terseness is actually used
Terseness is a formal or literary term. It is usually approving when referring to writing or speech that is efficiently concise, but it can also imply curtness or abruptness.
Easily confused with terseness
Terse is an adjective describing something brief and concise, whereas terseness is the noun naming that quality.