shorthand

American  

[shawrt-hand] / ˈʃɔrtˌhænd /

noun

1. a method of rapid handwriting using simple strokes, abbreviations, or symbols that designate letters, words, or phrases (distinguished from longhand).

2. a simplified or makeshift manner or system of communication.

   We spoke in a kind of pidgin shorthand to overcome the language barrier.

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adjective

1. using or able to use shorthand.

2. written in shorthand.

3. of or relating to shorthand.

shorthand British  

/ ˈʃɔːtˌhænd /

noun

1. 1. a system of rapid handwriting employing simple strokes and other symbols to represent words or phrases

   2. ( as modifier )

      a shorthand typist

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Etymology

Origin of shorthand

First recorded in 1630–40; short + hand

Explanation

Shorthand is a way of writing quickly, using a lot of abbreviations. Reporters often use shorthand during interviews to keep up with how fast people talk. It can be hard to write as fast as people speak, and that's where shorthand comes in. Shorthand is a method of rapidly transcribing exactly what someone says using special symbols, the way a court stenographer or a newspaper reporter does. It's less common to use shorthand these days, with the availability of recording devices, but in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries it was standard in offices.

Example Sentences

“Nvidia is the market’s shorthand for everything AI and this market’s gains have been driven in large part by AI over the past few years.”

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

For decades, Sweden was shorthand for the brand of high-tax, high-spend government that managed people’s lives from cradle to grave through state-run hospitals, schools and care homes.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

Practically since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, people have been saying that “compute” — shorthand for the immense computing power required by AI models — could become the oil of the 21st century.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

Soon, the word became a stand-in for “catchy,” shorthand that could be used to categorize just about any song with a single word.

From Salon • May 10, 2026

As with it’s and its, remember that who’s is shorthand for who is, and unadorned whose is the possessive form.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

Related Words

• calligraphy
• handwriting
• print
• script