shorten C2+ Topic:Cause, Change & Process US /ˈʃɔrtən/ UK /ˈʃɔːtən/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 verb to make or become shorter in length, duration, or extent They shortened the meeting to leave time for lunch. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · to make or become shorter... abbreviateabridgecurtailtruncatereducetrim ↔ Opposites lengthenextendprolongelongate Word family Derived forms shortenedshortening Related forms shortshortness Etymology AI details From short plus the verb-forming suffix -en; short is from Old English sceort ('short'), from Proto-Germanic *skurtaz. sceort Old English *skurtaz Proto-Germanic View etymology graph -> Topics Cause, Change & Process Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # shorten **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /ˈʃɔrtən/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈʃɔːtən/ ## Meanings 1. to make or become shorter in length, duration, or extent ## Examples - They shortened the meeting to leave time for lunch. ## Synonyms - abbreviate - abridge - curtail - truncate - reduce - trim ## Antonyms - lengthen - extend - prolong - elongate ## Derived Forms - shortened - shortening ## Related Forms - short - shortness ## Roots and Affixes - Root: sceort - Root: *skurtaz ## Etymology From short plus the verb-forming suffix -en; short is from Old English sceort ('short'), from Proto-Germanic *skurtaz. ## AI Etymology Shorten comes from short plus the verb-forming suffix -en; short is from Old English sceort ('short'), from Proto-Germanic *skurtaz. The suffix is part of the word's derivational shape, marking the final grammatical or semantic role while the base supplies the central meaning. As a verb, it means "to make or become shorter in length, duration, or extent", so the modern sense keeps the older action or relation visible. Relevant historical forms include Old English sceort and Proto-Germanic *skurtaz. Derivative forms include shortened, shortening; related words include short, shortness. ## Topics - Cause, Change & Process - Actions & Processes - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown