brevity

[ brev-i-tee ]
/ ˈbrɛv ɪ ti /

noun

shortness of time or duration; briefness: the brevity of human life.
the quality of expressing much in few words; terseness: Ironically, it is long-winded Polonius in Shakespeare's Hamlet who famously says that brevity is the soul of wit.

Origin of brevity

1500–10; < Anglo-French brevite, Old French brievete. See brief, -ity

SYNONYMS FOR brevity

2 compactness, succinctness, pithiness.

ANTONYMS FOR brevity

1, 2 length.

synonym study for brevity

2. Brevity, conciseness refer to the use of few words in speaking. Brevity emphasizes the short duration of speech: a response reduced to extreme brevity. Conciseness emphasizes compactness of expression: Her prose is clear in spite of great conciseness.

Words nearby brevity

brevicollis, brevier, breviloquent, brevipennate, brevirostrate, brevity, brevity is the soul of wit, brew, brew up, brewage, brewer's blackbird

Words related to brevities

condensation, economy, transitoriness, terseness, conciseness, crispness, concision, ephemerality, transience, pithiness, impermanence, succinctness, curtness

Example sentences from the Web for brevities

  • We shall give but brevities from the diary, omitting many of the details of sermons and texts, number converted, etc.

    Birth of a Reformation |Andrew Byers

British Dictionary definitions for brevities

brevity
/ (ˈbrɛvɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

conciseness of expression; lack of verbosity
a short duration; brief time

Word Origin for brevity

C16: from Latin brevitās shortness, from brevis brief