abbreviated
Americanadjective
-
shortened; made briefer.
The rain led to an abbreviated picnic.
-
(of clothing) scanty; barely covering the body.
an abbreviated bathing suit.
-
constituting a shorter or smaller version of.
The large car was an abbreviated limousine.
Other Word Forms
- unabbreviated adjective
Etymology
Origin of abbreviated
First recorded in 1545–55; abbreviate + -ed 2
Explanation
Something that's abbreviated is shortened or condensed. An abbreviated version of your favorite novel might be a quick read, but ultimately kind of disappointing. If you have to take an abbreviated vacation, you might need to leave Hawaii after a few days instead of staying for two weeks. On the other hand, if your boss at work gives you an abbreviated version of her usual lecture, you'll be able to go home a little earlier. The adjective abbreviated and the verb abbreviate both come from the noun abbreviation, with its Latin root, abbreviare, "make brief," from ad-, "to," and breviare, "shorten."
Vocabulary lists containing abbreviated
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He says he’s wary about his Somali clients getting a fair hearing, given the volume of cases that have been rescheduled and the abbreviated lead time for hearings.
From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026
She eventually went to an abbreviated culinary school and managed restaurants for Danny Meyer, a renowned restaurateur.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026
Strictly speaking, these galleries—limited by gaps in the DIA’s holdings and by space—provide only an abbreviated history of black art.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 17, 2026
Stocks were riding high ahead of the Christmas holiday on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 tallying a fresh intraday record during the abbreviated Christmas Eve session.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 24, 2025
Christianity not only imposed an abbreviated chronology; the liturgy was constructed around an endless cycle, the annual recurrence of the life of Christ.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
