What does "abbreviate" mean?
An abridgment.
Abbreviate
/əˈbɹiː.vi.eɪt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An abridgment.
- Grammar: abbreviate is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abridge, shorten, condense, contract.
- Useful contrasts: double character, protracted, prolonging.
- Usage evidence: But it is one Thing, to Abbreuiate by Contracting, Another by Cutting off: […]
How to use "abbreviate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "abbreviate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "abbreviate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "abbreviate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "abbreviate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "abbreviate" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abridge" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "abbreviate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An abridgment. Scotland, obsolete
Verb
- 1 To shorten by omitting parts or details. obsolete, transitive
"But it is one Thing, to Abbreuiate by Contracting, Another by Cutting off: […]"
- 2 shorten wordnet
- 3 To speak or write in a brief manner. intransitive, obsolete
- 4 reduce in scope while retaining essential elements wordnet
- 5 To make shorter; to shorten (in time); to abridge; to shorten by ending sooner than planned. transitive
"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 much as possible."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To reduce a word or phrase by means of contraction or omission to a shorter recognizable form. transitive
"Bovine spongiform encephalopathy is more commonly known by its abbreviated form BSE."
- 7 To reduce to lower terms, as a fraction. transitive
Adjective
- 1 Abbreviated. obsolete
- 2 Abbreviated, abridged, shortened. obsolete
"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.’ The magistrate said that he considered that a designation little better than ‘blackguard.’ The abbreviate form has never been able to recover that shock."
- 3 Having one part relatively shorter than another or than the ordinary type.
Antonyms
Example
"But it is one Thing, to Abbreuiate by Contracting, Another by Cutting off: […]"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "abbreviate"?
Common synonyms include: abridge, shorten, condense, contract, reduce, abbreviated.
How do you use "abbreviate" in a sentence?
But it is one Thing, to Abbreuiate by Contracting, Another by Cutting off: […]
How do you pronounce "abbreviate"?
Pronounced /əˈbɹiː.vi.eɪt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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.
Etymology 2
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.