brevity
noun
brev·i·ty
ˈbre-və-tē 
plural brevities
: shortness of duration
especially
: shortness or conciseness of expression
Examples of brevity in a Sentence
Mike Espy resigned under pressure as Secretary of Agriculture yesterday at a news conference remarkable for its brevity and general absence of whining.
—
New York Times, 4 Oct. 1994
Lincoln was able to achieve the loftiness, ideality, and brevity of the Gettysburg Address because he had spent a good part of the 1850s repeatedly relating all the most sensitive issues of the day to the Declaration's supreme principle.
—Garry Wills, Lincoln At Gettysburg, 1992
The book's brevity is its major defect. Admittedly, readers of military history have been smothered by portentous tomes of a thousand pages or more. But 365 pages are too few to tell the Normandy story.
—Drew Middleton, New York Times Book Review, 15 Aug. 1982
"Maudie, I'm sure I don't know what you mean," said Mrs. Merriweather. "I'm sure you do," Miss Maudie said shortly. She said no more. When Miss Maudie was angry, her brevity was icy.
—Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960
The book's major flaw is its brevity.
the best quality a graduation speech can have is brevity
New York Times, 4 Oct. 1994
Lincoln was able to achieve the loftiness, ideality, and brevity of the Gettysburg Address because he had spent a good part of the 1850s repeatedly relating all the most sensitive issues of the day to the Declaration's supreme principle.
—Garry Wills, Lincoln At Gettysburg, 1992
The book's brevity is its major defect. Admittedly, readers of military history have been smothered by portentous tomes of a thousand pages or more. But 365 pages are too few to tell the Normandy story.
—Drew Middleton, New York Times Book Review, 15 Aug. 1982
"Maudie, I'm sure I don't know what you mean," said Mrs. Merriweather. "I'm sure you do," Miss Maudie said shortly. She said no more. When Miss Maudie was angry, her brevity was icy.
—Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960
The book's major flaw is its brevity.
the best quality a graduation speech can have is brevity
Recent Examples on the Web
Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
—Jessica Boehm, Axios, 17 Oct. 2024
Interviews have been edited for clarity and brevity.
—Sarah Carrillo, refinery29.com, 16 Oct. 2024
These answers have been edited for clarity and brevity.
—John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Oct. 2024
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for brevity 
Jessica Boehm, Axios, 17 Oct. 2024
Interviews have been edited for clarity and brevity.
—Sarah Carrillo, refinery29.com, 16 Oct. 2024
These answers have been edited for clarity and brevity.
—John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Oct. 2024
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for brevity
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brevity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near brevity
Cite this Entry
“Brevity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brevity. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
brevity
noun
brev·i·ty
ˈbrev-ət-ē
: the condition of being brief
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