sucinto

Sucinto is an adjective used in Spanish and Portuguese to describe language or style that is brief, compact, and expressively precise. It denotes a form of communication that conveys meaning with a minimum of words and without digressions. A text described as sucinto is concise yet complete, and a discurso sucinto is direct and to the point.

Etymology and cognates: The term derives from Latin succinctus, meaning 'tightly bound' or 'girded,' from succingere 'to gird up, surround.' The Latin root passed into Spanish and Portuguese in the form of sucinto. The English word succinct shares the same origin and a closely related sense of compactness.

Usage and nuance: In everyday and formal usage, sucinto conveys effective brevity without sacrificing essential content. Related terms include conciso (economical in wording with emphasis on clarity), breve (short in length, less about word choice), and lacónico (terse, sometimes brusque). Depending on context, sucinto can imply precision and efficiency appropriate for business, academic, or regulatory writing, where clarity and speed of comprehension are valued.

Examples: Spanish: "El informe es sucinto y claro." Portuguese: "O relatório é sucinto e objetivo." Both illustrate a preference for tight expression that communicates the message efficiently.

See also: Conciso, Breve, Lacónico, Compacto.