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I want to describe something that is neither too broad and general, nor too detailed. It may be fit to just describe it as "a detailed analysis of so-and-so..", but I want to emphasize the fact that it is not too detailed because I want to point out that it's an advantage that the level of detail lies around the middle of the spectrum.

Is there such a word or phrase that would accomplish that?

EDIT: It may help if I try to express what I want to describe. I have a software model that simulates the behavior of a real-life mechanism. I want to emphasize the fact that it is detailed enough that the simulation is accurate, but it's not so detailed that it freezes your computer (or takes a long time to run)

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    Something that's is brief enough to get the message across, without being overly "word-ey" could be described as "succinct". i.e, "Explain as best you can, in a succinct manner".
    – i-CONICA
    Commented Jul 11, 2014 at 12:46
  • @i-CONICA Make this an answer!
    – Lunivore
    Commented Jul 11, 2014 at 12:49

5 Answers 5

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Something that's is brief enough to get the message across, without being overly "word-ey", or verbose, could be described as "succinct", or "concise".

i.e, "Explain as best you can, in a [succinct/concise] manner".

Concise is probably used more in common language, though.

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  • "succinct" portrays the description I'm looking for, but is it suitable to describe something that's not put in words? "A succinct sculpture", for example.
    – Tymric
    Commented Jul 11, 2014 at 12:58
  • Hmm, not really. It's really only to describe communication, written or verbal.
    – i-CONICA
    Commented Jul 11, 2014 at 13:40
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    I've just read your edit, and as a software developer myself, I get what you mean. :) You might want to look at words like "optimal", to mean it's been optimised for a purpose, in that it's as clean and neat as it can be.
    – i-CONICA
    Commented Jul 11, 2014 at 13:42
  • In my case, "optimal" may be relative to the application. I think I'm going to describe it as "suffciently-detailed", but it was worth checking for other possibilities.
    – Tymric
    Commented Jul 11, 2014 at 13:52
  • +1 But a cite to a reference and a quoted definition would be better.
    – bib
    Commented Jul 11, 2014 at 14:58
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Consider the term elegant. According to ODO it can mean

(Of a scientific theory or solution to a problem) pleasingly ingenious and simple: the grand unified theory is compact and elegant in mathematical terms

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"[the software model] is sufficiently detailed"

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Condensed. may also coney the idea:

  1. To reduce the volume or compass of.
  2. To make more concise; abridge or shorten.

A condensed version of a piece of writing/book ect.

Also an abstract:

  1. A statement summarizing the important points of a text.

Source:http://www.thefreedictionary.com

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I would use adequate:

as much or as good as necessary for some requirement or purpose; fully sufficient, suitable, or fit.

Source:http://www.thefreedictionary.com/adequate

For example, there is software adequacy testing that defines a through test of an application and is used to reach a confidence level that the software will just function enough to be acceptable by users. It is used in white box testing also.

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    Unfortunately, adequate tends to convey the connotation of "barely adequate" in colloquial speech.
    – outis nihil
    Commented Jul 11, 2014 at 16:09
  • @outis nihil: Depends on the context. I gave an example related to softwares also.
    – ermanen
    Commented Jul 11, 2014 at 16:12

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