Conciseness
Expressing ideas in as few words as possible while preserving meaning and clarity.
Also known as: Brevity, Economy of words, Tight writing
Category: Concepts
Tags: writing, communications, clarity, efficiencies, craft
Explanation
Conciseness is expressing ideas in as few words as possible while preserving full meaning and clarity. It's not about being brief at the expense of completeness, but about efficiency - no wasted words. Why conciseness matters: respects readers' time, increases impact (fewer words = each matters more), improves readability, and demonstrates clear thinking. Conciseness techniques: eliminate redundancy (brief summary → summary), cut filler words (really, very, basically), reduce phrases to words (at this point in time → now), use strong verbs (made a decision → decided), and cut unnecessary modifiers. What to cut: throat-clearing (it should be noted that...), hedging (somewhat, fairly, rather), empty phrases (in order to, the fact that), and repetition of ideas. Conciseness vs completeness: the goal is necessary and sufficient - include everything needed, nothing more. Being too brief can sacrifice clarity or meaning. Finding the balance: draft fully, then cut ruthlessly. Ask of each word: does this add meaning? Could this be shorter without losing information? For knowledge workers, concise writing is professional writing - it demonstrates respect for readers and confidence in your ideas.
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