BREVIARY Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

breviary

noun

ˈbrē-və-rē

Definition of breviary

as in summary

a short statement of the main points a speech that could serve as a breviary for impeachment

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of breviary Books of Hours are breviaries, or a selection of prayers and psalms taken from long prayer books used by monks. — Brian T. Allen, National Review, 28 Jan. 2020

Recent Examples of Synonyms for breviary

Noun

In an interview with The Charlotte Observer, Hatch said the current report provides a high-level summary but could include more detail about specific recommendations and what changes should follow.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2026
His reference to the actual lei that attendees leave with does require some setup, so now’s as good a time as any to attempt a plot summary.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of summary

Noun

The stage was set for the Fourth, whose five movements add up to a summa of Bartók’s art, by turns tenaciously labored, sinuously swirling, nocturnally eerie, pizzicato-punchy, and flat-out wild.

— Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
Alas, Dostoevsky — all of whose major characters clearly embody aspects of his own extremist personality — died in 1881, shortly after completing this summa of his most deeply felt themes and obsessions.

— Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 24 Aug. 2023

Definition of summa

Noun

These are perfect negatives of the original objects, sometimes so detailed that the outlines of wood cells are visible under a microscope.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 9 Oct. 2026
As with the Loran diagram, Lichtenstein’s painting turns Madame Cézanne into a black outline, with letters and arrows diagramming her husband’s compositional choices.

— Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of outline

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breviaries

breviary

brevity

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“Breviary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breviary. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of breviary

noun

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