The meaning of ABBREVIATE is to make briefer; especially : to reduce (a word or name) to a shorter form intended to stand for the whole. How to use abbreviate in a sentence. Did you know? Synonym …

ABBREVIATE definition: 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, …

Example of 15th-century Latin manuscript text with scribal abbreviations An abbreviation (from Latin brevis 'short') [1] is a shortened form of a word or phrase, by any method including shortening, …

ABBREVIATE definition: 1. to make a word or phrase shorter by using only the first letters of each word: 2. to make a…. Learn more.

To abbreviate is to shorten. Words are often abbreviated, like when we say sked instead of schedule.

Definition of abbreviate verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

3 meanings: 1. to shorten (a word or phrase) by contraction or omission of some letters or words 2. to shorten (a speech or.... Click for more definitions.

ab•bre•vi•ate (ə brē′ vē āt′), v., -at•ed, -at•ing. v.t. 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, …

ABBREVIATE meaning: 1 : to make (something) shorter; 2 : to reduce (a word or name) to a shorter form

Nov 27, 2025 · abbreviate (third-person singular simple present abbreviates, present participle abbreviating, simple past and past participle abbreviated) (obsolete, transitive) To shorten by …