brevity

C2 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˈbɹɛvəti/ UK /ˈbɹɛvɪti/ See IPA manual

Freq #49448

Meanings

1

noun
The quality of expressing something in few words; conciseness.

For the sake of brevity, I'll summarize the report in three points.
2

noun
The quality of lasting only a short time; shortness.

The brevity of the meeting surprised everyone who had expected a long debate.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the quality of expressing... concisionconciseness

2 noun · the quality of lasting only... briefness transience

More fleetingnesslaconicismsuccinctnessterseness transiency

Word family

Derived forms brevitic

Related forms brevebrief

Appears in

Proverbs (1)

See all

Brevity is the soul of wit

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.

*mreǵʰ- Proto-Indo-European brevitās Latin brevité xno brieveté Old French brevitātem Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# brevity

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈbɹɛvəti/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈbɹɛvɪti/
**Frequency rank:** 49448

## Meanings
1. The quality of expressing something in few words; conciseness.
2. The quality of lasting only a short time; shortness.

## Examples
- For the sake of brevity, I'll summarize the report in three points.
- The brevity of the meeting surprised everyone who had expected a long debate.

## Synonyms
- fleetingness
- laconicism
- succinctness
- terseness
- transience
- transiency

## Derived Forms
- brevitic

## Related Forms
- breve
- brief

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *mreǵʰ-
- Root: brevitās
- Root: brevité
- Root: brieveté
- Root: brevitātem

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Brevity is 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. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern nominal form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include *mreǵʰ- (Proto-Indo-European), brevitās (Latin), brevité (xno), brieveté (Old French), and brevitātem (Latin). Current senses include the quality of expressing something in few words; conciseness and the quality of lasting only a short time; shortness. The wider family includes derived forms such as brevitic; related words such as breve and brief.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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