Verbosity

Verbosity describes language that uses more words than necessary to convey meaning. In everyday writing, it often involves redundancy, padding, or overly elaborate phrasing. The term derives from the Latin verbum meaning word and the French -ous suffix meaning full of, hence “full of words.”

In rhetoric and style, verbosity is contrasted with conciseness and plain language. It may occur through repetition, qualifiers, nominalizations, or ornate constructions. While excessive wordiness can obscure message and fatigue readers, some writers use elaborate diction or narrative digressions for emphasis or mood, though the effect is highly context dependent.

In computing, verbosity refers to the level of detail provided by a program or system. Verbose modes produce extensive logs, diagnostic messages, and status updates, aiding debugging and auditing. Conversely, quiet or minimal output reduces noise and preserves resources in routine operation.

Reducing verbosity involves editorial techniques: cutting unnecessary words, tightening sentence structure, favoring active voice, and removing redundancies. In technical writing or code, clear naming, modular explanations, and defined logging levels help maintain informative yet concise communication.

Appropriate verbosity depends on purpose and audience. Technical manuals and legal documents may require precision and coverage, while general-audience material benefits from brevity and clarity. Readability tools and style guides can help balance thoroughness with economy of language.