Laconic means using very few words to express yourself, especially when more words might be expected. A laconic reply might be just “Nope” or “Fine” when someone asks how you're doing, instead of a full explanation.

The word comes from ancient Sparta, a Greek city-state in a region called Laconia. Spartans were famous for their brief, pointed speech. When an enemy king sent a long message threatening that if his army entered Spartan territory he would destroy their farms and enslave their people, the Spartans sent back a one-word reply: “If.”

Being laconic isn't the same as being rude or shy. It means choosing your words carefully and saying just enough to get your point across. A laconic person might say “Good job” instead of gushing with compliments, but those two words still carry real meaning. Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address lasted just two minutes, yet it became one of history's most powerful speeches. That's the strength of laconic communication: sometimes fewer words pack more punch.

When someone asks you to be less wordy in your writing, they're asking you to be more laconic. The opposite would be verbose or long-winded: using many words when few would do.