abbreviate

verb

ab·bre·vi·ate ə-ˈbrē-vē-ˌāt How to pronounce abbreviate (audio)

abbreviated; abbreviating

transitive verb

: to make briefer

an abbreviated session

an abbreviated version of the story

especially : to reduce (a word or name) to a shorter form intended to stand for the whole

You can abbreviate the word building as bldg.

"United States of America" is commonly abbreviated to "USA."

abbreviator

ə-ˈbrē-vē-ˌā-tər How to pronounce abbreviate (audio)

noun

Did you know?

Abbreviate and abridge both mean "to make shorter," so it probably will come as no surprise that both derive from Latin brevis, meaning "short." Abbreviate first appeared in print in English in the 15th century and derives from abbreviātus, the past participle of Late Latin abbreviāre, which in turn can be traced back to brevis. Abridge, which appeared a century earlier, also comes from abbreviāre but took a side trip through the Anglo-French abreger before arriving in Middle English as abreggen. Brevis is also the ancestor of English brief itself, as well as brevity and breviary ("a prayer book" or "a brief summary"), among other words.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Meant to show strength and independence, Alzona’s sculptures abbreviate women’s bodies to such active parts as a torso or a pair of ankles and feet.

Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 1 July 2022 Having returned to public activities in May, and then having to abbreviate her schedule due to COVID, the 44-year-old royal appeared to welcome the opportunity to reengage and interact with the public.

Peter Mikelbank, PEOPLE.com, 18 June 2022 As a result, manufacturers of electric vehicles are trying to abbreviate the supply chains of these metals by bringing their sources closer to them.

Samanth Subramanian, Quartz, 19 Apr. 2022 Having readily available access to a niche workforce enables a company to abbreviate the development period as well as time to launch.

Todd Greenbaum, Forbes, 1 Sep. 2021 The only sensible answer is to abbreviate Alaska with seven or more letters, preferably ten or fifteen.

David Reamer, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Sep. 2021 Some brands, like Patek Philippe and Rolex, abbreviate or even spell out the day and date.

Carol Besler, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2021 Therefore, there’s still a lot up for grabs, and the NFL couldn’t just abbreviate the season and start the playoffs early.

Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2020 Draconian measures will abbreviate Thanksgiving gatherings in a way unprecedented in U.S. history.

Victor Davis Hanson, National Review, 19 Nov. 2020 See More

abbreviate

verb

as in to shorten

to make less in extent or duration had to abbreviate his vacation in France in order to travel to Oslo to receive the Nobel Prize

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

shorten
truncate
abridge
reduce
curtail
elide
cut back
summarize
syncopate
trim
dock
decrease
recapitulate
encapsulate
modify
compress
abstract
digest
epitomize
pare
sum up
prune
cut
cut down
slash
constrict
diminish
shrink
contract
retrench
abate
moderate
taper
downsize
lessen
dwindle
lower
deflate
de-escalate
subtract (from)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

extend
lengthen
prolong
elongate
expand
add
enlarge
protract
increase
supplement
maximize
augment
amplify
dilate
raise
heighten
escalate
aggrandize
boost
inflate
swell
distend
blow up
balloon
pump up

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of abbreviate are abridge, curtail, retrench, and shorten. While all these words mean "to reduce in extent," abbreviate implies a making shorter usually by omitting some part.

using an abbreviated title

The synonyms abridge and abbreviate are sometimes interchangeable, but abridge implies a reduction in compass or scope with retention of essential elements and a relative completeness in the result.

the abridged version of the novel

While the synonyms curtail and abbreviate are close in meaning, curtail adds an implication of cutting that in some way deprives of completeness or adequacy.

ceremonies curtailed because of rain

In some situations, the words retrench and abbreviate are roughly equivalent. However, retrench suggests a reduction in extent or costs of something felt to be excessive.

declining business forced the company to retrench

The words shorten and abbreviate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, shorten implies reduction in length or duration.

shorten a speech

单词	abbreviate
释义	abbreviate verb ab·bre·vi·ate ə-ˈbrē-vē-ˌāt abbreviated; abbreviating transitive verb : to make briefer an abbreviated session an abbreviated version of the story especially : to reduce (a word or name) to a shorter form intended to stand for the whole You can abbreviate the word building as bldg. "United States of America" is commonly abbreviated to "USA." abbreviator ə-ˈbrē-vē-ˌā-tər noun Did you know? Abbreviate and abridge both mean "to make shorter," so it probably will come as no surprise that both derive from Latin brevis, meaning "short." Abbreviate first appeared in print in English in the 15th century and derives from abbreviātus, the past participle of Late Latin abbreviāre, which in turn can be traced back to brevis. Abridge, which appeared a century earlier, also comes from abbreviāre but took a side trip through the Anglo-French abreger before arriving in Middle English as abreggen. Brevis is also the ancestor of English brief itself, as well as brevity and breviary ("a prayer book" or "a brief summary"), among other words. Synonyms abridge curtail cut back dock elide shorten syncopate truncate See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Recent Examples on the Web Meant to show strength and independence, Alzona’s sculptures abbreviate women’s bodies to such active parts as a torso or a pair of ankles and feet. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 1 July 2022 Having returned to public activities in May, and then having to abbreviate her schedule due to COVID, the 44-year-old royal appeared to welcome the opportunity to reengage and interact with the public. Peter Mikelbank, PEOPLE.com, 18 June 2022 As a result, manufacturers of electric vehicles are trying to abbreviate the supply chains of these metals by bringing their sources closer to them. Samanth Subramanian, Quartz, 19 Apr. 2022 Having readily available access to a niche workforce enables a company to abbreviate the development period as well as time to launch. Todd Greenbaum, Forbes, 1 Sep. 2021 The only sensible answer is to abbreviate Alaska with seven or more letters, preferably ten or fifteen. David Reamer, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Sep. 2021 Some brands, like Patek Philippe and Rolex, abbreviate or even spell out the day and date. Carol Besler, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2021 Therefore, there’s still a lot up for grabs, and the NFL couldn’t just abbreviate the season and start the playoffs early. Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2020 Draconian measures will abbreviate Thanksgiving gatherings in a way unprecedented in U.S. history. Victor Davis Hanson, National Review, 19 Nov. 2020 See More Word History Etymology Middle English abbreviaten, borrowed from Late Latin abbreviātus, past participle of abbreviāre "to make shorter" — more at abridge First Known Use 15th century, in the meaning defined above Kids Definition abbreviate verb ab·bre·vi·ate ə-ˈbrē-vē-ˌāt abbreviated; abbreviating : to make briefer : shorten abbreviate verb as in to shorten to make less in extent or duration had to abbreviate his vacation in France in order to travel to Oslo to receive the Nobel Prize Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance shorten truncate abridge reduce curtail elide cut back summarize syncopate trim dock decrease recapitulate encapsulate modify compress abstract digest epitomize pare sum up prune cut cut down slash constrict diminish shrink contract retrench abate moderate taper downsize lessen dwindle lower deflate de-escalate subtract (from) Antonyms & Near Antonyms extend lengthen prolong elongate expand add enlarge protract increase supplement maximize augment amplify dilate raise heighten escalate aggrandize boost inflate swell distend blow up balloon pump up See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of abbreviate are abridge, curtail, retrench, and shorten. While all these words mean "to reduce in extent," abbreviate implies a making shorter usually by omitting some part. using an abbreviated title The synonyms abridge and abbreviate are sometimes interchangeable, but abridge implies a reduction in compass or scope with retention of essential elements and a relative completeness in the result. the abridged version of the novel While the synonyms curtail and abbreviate are close in meaning, curtail adds an implication of cutting that in some way deprives of completeness or adequacy. ceremonies curtailed because of rain In some situations, the words retrench and abbreviate are roughly equivalent. However, retrench suggests a reduction in extent or costs of something felt to be excessive. declining business forced the company to retrench The words shorten and abbreviate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, shorten implies reduction in length or duration. shorten a speech
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abbreviate

verb

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Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

verb

verb

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