abbreviate
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abbreviate¹
- /əˈbɹiː.vi.eɪt/ UK
- /əˈbɹi.vi.eɪt/ US
Where it comes from
From Middle English abbreviaten, from abbreviat(e) (“abbreviated”, used as the participle of abbreviaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from Latin abbreviātus, perfect passive participle of abbreviō (“to shorten”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), formed from ab- + breviō (“to shorten”), from brevis (“short”). Alternatively, a back-formation from abbreviation. Doublet of abridge.
verb abbreviates · abbreviating · abbreviated
- To shorten by omitting parts or details. But it is one Thing, to Abbreuiate by Contracting, Another by Cutting off: […]
- To speak or write in a brief manner.
- To make shorter; to shorten (in time); to abridge; to shorten by ending sooner than planned. But as delivery schedules have dwindled into hours, even the gigantic warehouse full of stuff in a central place such as the triangle is proving insufficient. Now, companies also need smaller distribution centres around the country, to respond rapidly to orders and to abbreviate the last mile as muc
- To reduce a word or phrase by means of contraction or omission to a shorter recognizable form. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy is more commonly known by its abbreviated form BSE.
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To reduce to lower terms, as a fraction.
Similar: simplify
Similar: abridge, compress, condense, contract, curtail, epitomize, reduce, shorten · Opposite: amplify, dilate, elongate, enlarge, expand, expatiate, extend, lengthen, produce, prolong, stretch
abbreviate²
- /əˈbɹi.vi.ət/ US
- /əˈbɹi.vi.eɪt/ US
- /əˈbɹi.vi.eɪt/ US
- /əˈbriviet/ Scotland
Where it comes from
From Middle English abbreviat(e) (“abbreviated”, used as the past participle of abbreviaten); the noun is derived by subtsantivization from the adjective. See -ate (adjective forming suffix), -ate (noun forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more. Participial usage up until Early Modern English.
adjective more abbreviate · most abbreviate
- Abbreviated.
- Abbreviated, abridged, shortened. The curt form of gent as a less ceremonious substitute for the full expression of ‘gentleman,’ had once made considerable way, but its career was blighted in a court of justice. It is about twenty years ago that two young men, being brought before a London magistrate, described themselves as ‘gents.
- Having one part relatively shorter than another or than the ordinary type.
noun abbreviates
- An abridgment.
Thesaurus
Translations
Every language
verb to make shorter
| Español | abreviar |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 생략(省略)하다 saengnyakhada, 약(略)하다 yakhada, 약생(略省)하다) yaksaenghada, 단축(短縮)하다 danchukhada |
| 日本語 | 縮める chidimeru, 略す ryakusu, 短縮する tanshuku suru, 省略する shōryaku suru, 略称する ryakushō suru |
| 中文 | 缩写 suōxiě, 缩略 suōlüè |
| हिन्दी | लघु करना laghu karnā |
| Português | abreviar, encurtar |
| Français | abréger |
| Deutsch | kürzen, abkürzen |
| Italiano | abbreviare |
| Ελληνικά | συντομεύω syntomévo |
| Română | scurta, abrevia |
| Русский | сокраща́ть sokraščátʹ, сократи́ть sokratítʹ |
| العربية | إِخْتَصَرَ ʔiḵtaṣara |
verb to reduce to lower terms
| हिन्दी | संक्षिप्तकरना saṅkṣiptakarnā |
|---|---|
| Português | abreviar |
| Deutsch | kürzen |
| Italiano | accorciare |
| Română | simplifica |
| Tiếng Việt | ước lược, rút gọn |
adj biology: having one part relatively shorter
| Tiếng Việt | tương đối ngắn |
|---|
Talk about this word "abbreviate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/abbreviate. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. abbreviate. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/abbreviate "abbreviate." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/abbreviate.Cite this
@misc{abbreviate_2026,
title = {abbreviate},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/abbreviate},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
