Definition - Verbose

[Liberty]

Verbose describes using or containing more words than are necessary to convey a message. It is often used as a critical term for writing or speech that is needlessly long winded, wordy, or tedious.

Regarding its key characteristics, the term is derived from the Latin word verbosus, meaning full of words, which stems from verbum, meaning word. Its noun forms are verbosity or verboseness, which refer to the state of being overly wordy. The tone of the word generally carries a formal, disapproving, or critical connotation.

Common synonyms include wordy, meaning using too many words, and long winded, which means tiresomely long and drawn out. Prolix is another synonym that means tediously prolonged in speech or writing, while garrulous describes being excessively talkative, especially about trivial matters.

In the context of communication, an example would be saying that the politician speech was heavily criticized for being verbose because she took ten minutes to make a point that could have been stated in a single sentence. In the context of computing, specifically in software and system administration, a verbose mode is a setting that instructs a program or operating system to output highly detailed, step by step diagnostic text about what it is doing.

If a communication or person is not verbose, they can be described by antonyms such as concise, meaning giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words. Succinct means briefly and clearly expressed, while laconic refers to using very few words.

For more examples and alternative usages, you can check out the Merriam Webster Definition or the Cambridge Dictionary resources. According to the Merriam Webster Kids Definition, verbose is an adjective pronounced as vər bōs, which means using more words than are needed, as seen in the phrase a verbose reply. Its related forms include verbosely as an adverb, verboseness as a noun, and verbosity.