Definition of abbreviation
1
: a shortened form of a written word or phrase used in place of the whole word or phrase
"Amt" is an abbreviation for "amount." "USA" is an abbreviation of "United States of America."
2
: the act or result of abbreviating something : abridgment
I know you would not be satisfied with an abbreviation of its contents, and you shall have the whole, save, perhaps, a few passages here and there of merely temporary interest to the writer …— Anne Brontë
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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The first known use of abbreviation was in the 15th century
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