brevity

[ brev-i-tee ]
/ ˈbrɛv ɪ ti /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR brevity ON THESAURUS.COM

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

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 brevity

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

Example sentences from the Web for brevity

British Dictionary definitions for brevity

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