breviary

noun

ˈbrē-və-rē How to pronounce breviary (audio)
Definition of breviarynext
as in summary
a short statement of the main points a speech that could serve as a breviary for impeachment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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
  1. summary
  2. summa
  3. outline
Noun
  • Engineers are continuing to analyze information collected during the testing campaign, with a technical summary expected following completion of the review.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The feature offers a two-sentence summary for each of the 32,000 shots hit during a tournament.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 1 Aug. 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
  • Usual signals include overly polished images, bright colors on black backgrounds, brushstroke fonts with glowing outlines, crowded compositions and graphics or text filling every inch of the flyer.
    — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Its regulations, which stretch more than 100 pages, outline requirements on everything from child-to-teacher ratios and child health screenings to family engagement.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of outline

Browse Nearby Words

breviaries
breviary
brevity
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Breviary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breviary. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on breviary

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about breviary

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nurture

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All