English is a language of synonyms, multiple words with similar meanings. At first, that might seem wasteful. But it allows for nuance, subtle differences that convey added meaning. And it allows for concision.
As an example, let's consider that word concision in comparison with its sibling conciseness. They're both noun forms of the adjective concise, meaning "short and to the point." But concision carries the added sound of precision. In some contexts, it might even echo incision—being direct or "cutting to the heart of the matter."
In addition, at just nine letters, concision is a better model of terseness than the eleven-lettered conciseness. What's more, concision's final syllable simply "sounds" more to the point than its sibling's.
Of course, conciseness is the more common word, which means it gets the idea across without drawing attention to itself. Most often, then, you're likely best served by conciseness. If you want to emphasize terseness, however, concision does the trick.
—Lester Smith
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