Compendium
/kəmˈpɛndiəm/
Definitions
A brief summary of a larger topic, containing the most important information.
/kəmˈpɛndiəm/
A concise but comprehensive summary of a larger work or subject.
The textbook included a compendium of important formulas.
💡 Simply: Imagine a giant encyclopedia, but squished down into a small, handy guide! That's a compendium – it has all the important stuff, just shorter.
👶 For kids: It's like a little book that tells you the most important things about a big topic.
More Examples
A compendium of his works was published after his death.
How It's Used
"The professor assigned a compendium of readings on the French Revolution."
"She consulted a compendium of legal statutes before filing her case."
From Latin *compendium*, from *compendere* "to weigh together, summarize," from *com-"together" + *pendere* "to weigh."
The word has been used since the 16th century, initially referring primarily to summaries of laws.
Memory tip
Think of 'compend' as 'compressing' information into a smaller, manageable package.