Laconic    (pronounced luh-kon-ik) adjective


Definition

(of a person's speech or expression) using few words; terse or concise to the point of seeming discourteous, brusque, unconcerned, or mysterious.

Main Example

  • Actor Charles Bronson who recently died will best be remembered for the hard-nosed, tough, and laconic guy he portrayed in movies such as "The Magnificent Seven," "The Dirty Dozen," and "Once Upon a Time in the West."

    Workplace Examples

  • Yes, Jay has the knowledge and the drive, but he is not a good manager because of his poor communication skills. The guy speaks in sound bites! On more than one occasion, his laconic instructions, or his laconic replies, have resulted in ambiguity and confusion among the employees.

  • Oh, Tom is passionately interested in the arts, I can assure you! His laconic manner must have given you the false impression that he is indifferent to this sort of stuff.

    Other Examples

  • your deliberately being laconic and low-key during a meeting because you are there as an observer rather than a participant

  • some managers adopting a verbal style that is laconic, thinking it to be fashionable for the right reasons, and not realizing that ultra brevity is an impediment to strong leadership

  • many veterans who were treated cruelly in Japanese and North Vietnamese POW camps giving only laconic accounts of their suffering because of the discomfort they feel when talking about those experiences

  • during Pentagon press briefings earlier this year, Donald Rumsfeld and Gen. Tommy Franks presenting a stark contrast: one was expansive, often talking at length when asked a question, while the other--Franks--was brief to the point of being laconic

    © 2003 V.J. Singal

    This Month's Other Words

    Insouciant
    Prodigious
    Doctrinal
    Ossified
    Dogged
    Odious
    Lionize

    Now available on CD-ROM: Past editions of Words of the Month. Click here for more information.
    The Articulate Professional (1995 revised edition) also available. Click here for more information.

    Now get the CD-ROM and the book for only $27. Click here to order.
    *Price includes shipping in US/Canada.