What is the Latin word for compact?

The usual Latin words for “compact” are dēnsus, condēnsus, spissus; also solidus, cōnferciō, artus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“compact” in Latin

dēnsusdense, compact; crowded, close; frequent condēnsusvery dense; crowded, packed spissusthick, close, compact, dense, crowded; slow, tardy, late; hard, difficult solidusdense, solid, not hollow; whole, entire, thorough, full; firm cōnferciōto fill completely, stuff full of artusnarrow; close; fitted; confined; dense; severe; strict; scanty; brief premōto press, push, press close or hard, oppress, overwhelm; to tighten, compress, shorten, press closely, squeeze; to make,brevisshort, small, little, narrow; brief, short; short, low, shallow crēberthick, dense; numerous, frequent, repeated; abundant, crowded with perviushaving a passage through; passable, penetrable, traversable

The English word compact itself goes back to Latin pangō, through compāctus.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

compact

densus: condensus (consisting of compressed parts, opposed to rarus): spissus (consisting of parts so compressed, that scarcely any interstices are visible almost impervious, impenetrable, opposed to solutus): solidus (consisting of a firm mass, massive, opposed to cassus. pervius): confertus (pressed together, crammed, as it were, opposed to rarus): artior or arctior (compressed into a small space): pressus (of an orator’s style, concise, nervous): brevis (also of style, etc.): creber (whatever is found together in numbers or frequently): cibus plenus: To make compact (according to the above distinctions), densare; condensare; spissare; conspissare; solidare: become compact, densari, etc. (the passive of the above verbs) spissescere; solidescere.

compact v.

coagmentare (to join closely): jungere. conjungere (to join, to unite, Vid: UNITE): devincire (to join firmly, unite indissolubly): Vid :, also, theverbs spissare, spissescere, etc., in COMPACT, adjective.

compact s.

pactio: pactum (an agreement drawn in proper form, and which has become legal, the former as action): conventus: conventum: constitutum, the subject agreed upon; also before it is made irrevocable, or formally binding). To enter into a compact with anybody, cum aliquo constitutum facere; pactionem facere or conficere or inire cum aliquo: it was settled by compact that etc., pacto convenit, ut etc.: the compact was not concluded, conditiones non convenerunt: to abide by the terms of a compact, pacto stare; pactum servare: not to abide by a compact pacto non stare; pactionem perturbare: to settle a matter by a compact, aliquid transigere: according to the terms of a compact, ex convento (Cic., Att., 6, 3, 7); ex pacto; (the words are found in this connexion and order.) ex pacto et convento; ut erat constitutum: to make a compact with anybody, cum aliquo pacisci.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for compact?: The usual Latin words for “compact” are dēnsus, condēnsus, spissus; also solidus, cōnferciō, artus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.