Make Your Point > Archived Issues > COMPENDIUM

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pronounce COMPENDIUM: Say it "come PEN dee yum." To hear it, click here. connect this word to others: Let's play with our collection of words for collections! Today we're checking out compendium, which hints that a collection offers a handy summary, as if each piece is an essential one. Let's recall three of its synonyms: 1. The word a_____ogy hints that a collection offers beauty and variety, as if each piece is a flower. 2. The word o____us hints that a collection transports many things at once, as if each piece is a passenger. 3. The word d____ue hints that a collection offers simplicity and authority, as if each piece is a commandment. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)  definition: We took the word "compendium" straight from Latin, where it means "a shortcut: a shortening, or a summary." More literally, it means "something weighed together." Strictly speaking, a compendium is a shortened or summarized version of a longer piece of writing. But more loosely, and more often, a compendium is a handy or impressive collection or combination of things--often written things. grammatical bits: Part of speech: Noun, the countable kind: "It's a compendium of prescription drugs;" "I spent fifth grade buried in a copy of the Guinness World Records, a compendium of bizarre facts." Other forms worth knowing:  For the plural, choose between "compendia" and "compendiums," both of which are correct. The adjective is "compendious," as in "His understanding of the field is compendious." The adverb is "compendiously," as in "The documentary tells the story compendiously, if not entertainingly." And the noun for the quality is "compendiousness." If you find that one ugly, you could pick instead the obsolete but elegant "compendiosity." how to use it: "Compendium" is the common, formal, positive word we need when we want to suggest that some collection of things (very often a written collection of things) is especially handy, useful, thorough, and compact. Most often we say that something is a compendium of its parts: "a compendium of classical lullabies," "this compendium of hilarious Monty Python quotes." examples: "[Richard Scarry] published more than 300 picture books, which were distinguished by their bold, all-encompassing titles – Best Storybook Ever, Best Counting Book Ever, Cars and Trucks and Things Which Go. ... To the small but dogged reader, Scarry's compendiums suggest that all knowledge is explicable and easily mastered, from the function of ailerons to the etiquette of a party."    — Imogen Russell Williams, The Guardian, 11 April 2013 "Cannes is a big money place — the Hollywood Reporter recently estimated that the city economy takes in... a grand total of $269.24 million. Numbers like that attract thieves, and the Reporter obligingly published a compendium of sketchy locations titled '5 Places Not to Go in Cannes.'"    — Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2014 has this page helped you understand "compendium"? Awesome, I'm glad it helped! Thanks for letting me know! If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. study it: Explain the meaning of "compendium" without saying "treasury" or "compilation."  try it out: Although a compendium is most often a book or some other written thing, it doesn't have to be. Let's get figurative. Fill in the blanks: "(Some show, TV channel, YouTube channel, exhibit, museum, website, or neighborhood) is a compendium of (certain things)." Example 1: "At the Science Museum of Virginia, the new exhibit 'Tyrannosaurs: Meet the Family' is a compendium of casts, fossils, and interactive experiences." Example 2: "We went to the Muhammad Ali Center, a six-story compendium of his fights, his principles and his humanitarian work."    — Katy Yocom, Salon, 16 January 2016 If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.) before you review, play: Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out. Our game for August is "Heard it in Hamilton." Check out a snippet of lyrics from Hamilton: An American Musical, and see if you can come up with the missing word. You can check your answer by scrolling all the way down.  Try this one today: BURR:    Geniuses, lower your voices.    You keep out of trouble and you double your choices.    I'm with you, but the situation is _____.    You've got to be carefully taught:    If you talk, you’re gonna get shot!  Definition of the missing word: "complicated, difficult, and stressful, as if loaded with burdensome cargo." Number of syllables: 1. review this word: 1. The opposite of a COMPENDIUM, in its original and strictest sense, is A. a TERSE LEAFLET. B. an UNABRIDGED BOOK. C. a PLODDING ANECDOTE. 2. A compendium in both the original and the contemporary sense of the word, _____. A. RottenTomatoes.com offers critical reviews of shows and movies B. OverviewBible.com offers a one-sentence recap of every book of the Bible C. ShakespeareComics.com offers line-by-line illustrations of the classic plays Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. B Answer to the game question: fraught. a final word: I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.