abbreviate
- to shorten (a word or phrase) by omitting letters, substituting shorter forms, etc., so that the shortened form can represent the whole word or phrase, as ft. for foot, ab. for about, R.I. for Rhode Island, NW for Northwest, or Xn for Christian.
- to reduce (anything) in length, duration, etc.; make briefer: to abbreviate a speech.
- to use abbreviations.
Origin of abbreviate
Synonyms for abbreviate
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comRelated Words for abbreviate
abridge, compress, abort, truncate, trim, pare, cut, prune, clip, abstract, reduce, condense, contract, summarize, encapsulate, digest, restrict, curtailExamples from the Web for abbreviate
Contemporary Examples of abbreviate
And it's easier to delay something than to make something happen, so things tended to elongate rather than abbreviate.
Historical Examples of abbreviate
"Well, abbreviate 'community,' that's the longest word," suggested Dick.
Marjorie's Busy DaysCarolyn Wells
It is common, however, to abbreviate them in a manner peculiarly Malay.
A Manual of the Malay languageWilliam Edward Maxwell
Page 289: "Ben: Perley Poore" did abbreviate his first name with a colon.
Abraham LincolnWilliam Eleroy Curtis
She thought his name long, but had not yet decided how to abbreviate it.
To LeewardF. Marion Crawford
There are a number of words which we abbreviate or contract, in our every-day use.
Plain EnglishMarian Wharton
abbreviate
- to shorten (a word or phrase) by contraction or omission of some letters or words
- to shorten (a speech or piece of writing) by omitting sections, paraphrasing, etc
- to cut short
Word Origin for abbreviate
Word Origin and History for abbreviate
mid-15c., from Latin abbreviatus, past participle of abbreviare "to shorten" (see abbreviation). Also sometimes 15c. abbrevy, from Middle French abrevier (14c.), from Latin abbreviare. Related: Abbreviated; abbreviating.