brevity

American  

[brev-i-tee] / ˈbrɛv ɪ ti /

noun

1. shortness of time or duration; briefness.

   the brevity of human life.

   Antonyms:

   length

2. the quality of expressing much in few words; terseness.

   Ironically, it is long-winded Polonius in Shakespeare's Hamlet who famously says that brevity is the soul of wit.

   Synonyms:

   pithiness, succinctness, compactness

   Antonyms:

   length

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brevity British  

/ ˈbrɛvɪtɪ /

noun

1. conciseness of expression; lack of verbosity

2. a short duration; brief time

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Synonym Usage

Brevity, conciseness refer to the use of few words in speaking. Brevity emphasizes the short duration of speech: a response reduced to extreme brevity. Conciseness emphasizes compactness of expression: Her prose is clear in spite of great conciseness.

Etymology

Origin of brevity

First recorded in 1500–10; from Anglo-French brevite, Old French brievete, from briev(e), feminine of brief brief + -ete -ity

Explanation

The noun brevity means "shortness" or "conciseness." If you give a report on agriculture in the northern hemisphere in 3 minutes, you have done it with incredible brevity. Brevity comes from brevis, which means "brief" in Latin. You can use brevity for things that are literally short, like the brevity of an elevator meeting, or the quality of fleetingness, like the brevity of youth. Brevity is also a style of speaking or writing with economy. "Brevity is the soul of wit," remarks Polonius in Shakespeare's Hamlet, suggesting that witty people know how to make a point without unnecessary words.

Example Sentences

I think about the brevity of that difficulty today, as I listen to parents struggling with deeply feeling kids and water-spilling 2-year-olds.

From Slate • May 10, 2026

The other issue with the album is its brevity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

There will undoubtedly be some who find nits to pick, but it’s hard to imagine any less-than-obsessed fans unhappy with this lagniappe, apart from its comparative brevity.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

Yet the brevity of this pre-election period "will likely not have much of an effect", said Michael Cucek, assistant professor of Asian Studies at Temple University's Japan Campus.

From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026

Another tradeoff between brevity and clarity may be seen in the placement of modifiers.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker