Abbreviate Definition

ə-brēvē-āt

abbreviated, abbreviates, abbreviating

verb

abbreviated, abbreviates, abbreviating

To make shorter.

Webster's New World

To reduce (a word or phrase) to a shorter form intended to represent the full form.

American Heritage

To shorten (a word or phrase) by leaving out letters or, sometimes, by substituting letters, numerals, symbols, etc.

Webster's New World

To make shorter; to shorten; to abridge; to shorten by ending sooner than planned. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470).]

Wiktionary

To reduce a word or phrase by means of contraction or omission to a shorter recognizable form. [First attested in the late 16^th century.]

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

adjective

(biology) Having one part relatively shorter than another or than the ordinary type. [First attested in the mid 19^th century.]

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

noun

(obsolete) An abridgment. [Mid 16^th century.]

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Origin of Abbreviate

Either from Middle English abbreviaten, from Latin abbreviātus, perfect passive participle of abbreviō (“to shorten”), formed from ad + breviō (“shorten”), from brevis (“short”) or Back-formation from abbreviation..

From Wiktionary
Middle English abbreviaten from Late Latin abbreviāre abbreviāt- ad- ad- breviāre to shorten (from brevis short mregh-u- in Indo-European roots)

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From Late Latin abbreviātus, perfect passive participle of abbreviō (“abbreviate”).

From Wiktionary
See abridge.

From Wiktionary