shorthand

noun

short·​hand ˈshȯrt-ˌhand 

1

: a method of writing rapidly by substituting characters, abbreviations, or symbols for letters, sounds, words, or phrases : stenography

2

: something likened to shorthand especially in providing rapid or abbreviated communication or representation

stereotype and cliché serve a purpose as a form of shorthand

—Stephanie Ericsson

headline shorthand

shorthand adjective

Examples of shorthand in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Its hero has become shorthand, to the point of cliché, to describe any long slumber. —John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025

In certain ideological precincts, Mamdani’s name has become totemic—shorthand for everything wrong with New York, which itself is shorthand for everything wrong with America. —Eric Lach, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025

The staff is brisk, used to locals ordering with a shorthand as precise as Philly cheesesteak lingo, and the souvlaki itself is unlike anywhere else in Athens—simple, spicy, smoky, and closer to kebab than the standard style. —Katherine Whittaker, Saveur, 9 Oct. 2025

Ventures like Theranos and Nikola became shorthand for unchecked hype. —Roman Axelrod, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1636, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing shorthand

• in shorthand
• shorthand reporter
• shorthand typist
• take shorthand

Rhymes for shorthand

• armband
• backhand
• bandstand
• baseband
• broadband
• command
• cropland
• demand
• disband
• dreamland
• expand
• farmhand

Kids Definition

shorthand

noun

short·​hand ˈshȯrt-ˌhand 

1

: a method of rapid writing by using symbols for sounds, words, or phrases

2

: a short or quick way of showing or saying something

shorthand adjective