laconic

adj.
Using or marked by the use of few words; terse or concise. See synonyms at silent.

[Latin Lacōnicus, Spartan, from Greek Lakōnikos, from Lakōn, a Spartan (from the reputation of the Spartans for brevity of speech).]

laconically la·con'i·cal·ly adv.

WORD HISTORY   The study of the classics allows one to understand the history of the term laconic, which comes to us via Latin from Greek Lakōnikos. The English word is first recorded in 1583 with the sense "of or relating to Laconia or its inhabitants." Lakōnikos is derived from Lakōn, "a Laconian, a person from Lacedaemon," the name for the region of Greece of which Sparta was the capital. The Spartans, noted for being warlike and disciplined, were also known for the brevity of their speech, and it is this quality that English writers still denote by the use of the adjective laconic, which is first found in this sense in 1589.

(luh-KON-ik)

adjective
Sparing with words, concise, terse.

Etymology
From Latin Laconicus, from Greek Lakonikos, from Lakon, Laconian, a resident of Laconia, an ancient country in southern Greece (Capital: Sparta). From the the reputation of the Laconians for terseness.

Usage
"A studied cool prevails, the athletes communicating through laconic signals, minimalist gestures and misdirected glances." — John Brant, Sights Set on Sydney, Runner's World, Sep 1, 1998.

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adjective

Marked by or consisting of few words that are carefully chosen: brief, compendious, concise, lean², short, succinct, summary, terse. See big/small/amount, style/good style/bad style, words.

adj

Definition: short, to the point
Antonyms: long-winded, loquacious, verbose, wordy

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IN BRIEF: Using few words.

Though the speech was laconic in nature, it told worlds about why it is important to follow directions.

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - lakonisk, ordknap, kort og fyndig

Nederlands (Dutch)
laconiek, onverschillig, kort en bondig

Français (French)
adj. - laconique

Deutsch (German)
adj. - lakonisch, knapp, wortkarg

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - λακωνικός, λιγόλογος

Italiano (Italian)
laconico

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - lacônico

Русский (Russian)
лаконичный, неразговорчивый

Español (Spanish)
adj. - lacónico

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - lakonisk, kortfattad

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
简洁的, 简明的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 簡潔的, 簡明的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 짧으나 함축성 있는, 간결한 , 말수 적은

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 簡潔な, ことば数の少ない

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) موجز, مقتضب‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮מובע בקצרה, לאקוני‬

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