Abbreviated

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /əˈbɹiːvieɪtɪd/

Definitions

1. Shortened in time or length; written using a shorter form or symbol
2. Reduced from its full size or extent; expressed with fewer letters or a compressed form
3. Cut down or condensed in duration or physical size; represented in a brief or shortened version

Etymology: "Abbreviated" is the past participle of "abbreviate," and its history begins with the Latin verb "abbreviare," built from "ab-" and "breviare," meaning "to shorten," which itself comes from "brevis," "short." The Latin past participle "abbreviatus" was borrowed into Middle English as a participial adjective, meaning "shortened" in the literal sense of something made smaller in length or size. Only later did English form the verb "abbreviaten" from that adjective, adding the verb-forming ending "-en," so the adjective came first and the verb grew out of it. That sequence is a useful clue to how the word works. The adjective kept its participial sense for centuries, and the Latin root "brevis" also gave English "brief" and "brevity," words that share the same idea of shortness. "Abbreviate" is a doublet of "abridge," meaning that both descend from the same Latin source by different routes, one through Old French and one directly from Latin, so English ended up with two words for shortening something.

Synonyms: shortened, condensed, summarized, curtailed, reduced

Antonyms: lengthened, extended, prolonged, enlarged, expanded