condense means 'to make something shorter or denser by removing extra parts'.
condense :
to make shorter, to make denser
verb
▪ Please condense the report to one page.
▪ Please make the report shorter to one page.
▪ She condensed her speech to fit the time limit.
▪ She made her speech shorter to fit the time limit.
paraphrasing
▪ shorten – make shorter
▪ compress – make smaller
▪ reduce – make less
▪ summarize – make concise
Pronunciation
condense [kənˈdɛns]
The stress is on the second syllable 'dence' and sounds like 'kuhn-DENS'.
Common phrases and grammar about condense
condense - Common meaning
verb
to make shorter, to make denser
Part of Speech Changes for "condense"
▪ condensation (noun) – the process of making something denser or shorter
▪ condensed (adjective) – made shorter or more concentrated
Common Expressions with "condense"
▪ condense information – make information shorter
▪ condense the text – make the text shorter
▪ condense a speech – make a speech shorter
▪ condense data – make data more compact
Important examples of condense in TOEIC
Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test
In TOEIC vocabulary questions, condense is often used to describe making something shorter or more concise.
▪Please condense the meeting minutes to one page.
▪Please make the meeting minutes shorter to one page.
Example of a confusing word: compress (to press together)
▪Please compress the meeting minutes to one page.
▪Please press the meeting minutes together to one page.
"Condense" means "to make something shorter or more concise," often used when summarizing information, like meeting minutes. In "Please condense the meeting minutes to one page," the grammar and meaning are correct. "Compress," on the other hand, means "to press together" or "reduce in volume," and is typically used in physical contexts, such as compressing files or materials. Using "compress" in this sentence is awkward and changes the intended meaning. Therefore, "condense" is the correct choice.
Grammar examples from the TOEIC test
Condense is used as a verb that often requires an object in grammar questions.
▪They condensed the report to meet the deadline.
▪They made the report shorter to meet the deadline.
condense
Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC
condense information
'make information shorter', used when summarizing details.
▪You need to condense the information for the presentation.
▪You need to make the information shorter for the presentation.
boil down to
means 'to make something simpler or shorter'.
▪We need to boil down the report to key points.
▪We need to make the report simpler by focusing on key points.
Differences between similar words and condense
condense
,
compress
differences
Condense means to make something shorter or denser by removing parts, while compress means to make something smaller in size or volume.
condense
▪Please condense the article to one page.
▪Please compress the article to one page.
compress
▪They compressed the files to save space.
▪They made the files smaller to save space.
condense
,
shorten
differences
Condense means to make something shorter or denser by removing parts, while shorten simply means to make something less long.
condense
▪Please condense the presentation for the meeting.
▪They made the presentation less long to fit the schedule.
shorten
▪They shortened the presentation to fit the schedule.
▪They made the presentation less long to fit the schedule.
Words with the same origin as condense
The origin of condense
The word's etymology is not clear.
Word structure
The analysis of the word's composition is unclear.
Words with the same origin
The word's root is unclear or difficult to confirm.
