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.

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.

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 …

If you abbreviate something, especially a word or a piece of writing, you make it shorter. He abbreviated his first name to Alec. [VERB noun + to]

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 …

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

to reduce (anything) in length, duration, etc.; make briefer: to abbreviate a speech. v.i. to use abbreviations.

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

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