English Explanatory Dictionary

brevity

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The quality of being brief in duration.
  2. Succinctness; conciseness.
  3. A short piece of writing.

Pronunciation

/ˈbɹɛvɪti/ /ˈbɹɛvəti/ [ˈbɹɛvəɾi] [ˈbɹɛvɾi] en-us-brevity.ogg /ˈbɹevəti/ [ˈbɹevəɾi]

Word forms

brevity brevities

Etymology

First attested in English in 1509; either: * Borrowed directly from Latin brevitās; or * from Anglo-Norman brevité, from Old French brieveté, from Latin brevitātem, accusative of brevitās, from brevis (“short”). By surface analysis, brief + -ity.

Synonyms

fleetingness transiency laconicism terseness ephemerality concision

Related words

breve brief

Derived words

brevitic brevity code brevity is the soul of wit
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