1
as in shortness
the condition of being short
the best quality a graduation speech can have is brevity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in concision
the quality or state of being marked by or using only few words to convey much meaning
if brevity is the soul of wit, then that speech wasn't at all witty
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 brevity
Responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
—
Charlotte Observer,
8 June 2026
This story has been edited for brevity and clarity.
—
Helen Acevedo,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2026
Such brevity, however, is not a luxury for those who have experienced such abuse.
—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
There is a brevity and directness to Liden’s work that allows for easy entry.
—
Erika Landström,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for brevity
Charlotte Observer,
8 June 2026
This story has been edited for brevity and clarity.
—
Helen Acevedo,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2026
Such brevity, however, is not a luxury for those who have experienced such abuse.
—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
There is a brevity and directness to Liden’s work that allows for easy entry.
—
Erika Landström,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for brevity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brevity
Noun
-
How much of his life, his desperate desire for success, greatness, had been prompted by his shortness?
-
The team’s mean average height is 6-foot-4 due to the notable shortness of main rotation guards Tre Jones (6-foot-1) and Rob Dillingham (6-foot-2) and two-way guards Yuki Kawamura (5-foot-7) and Mac McClung (6-foot-2).
Noun
-
Though editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis (a Yorgos Lanthimos regular) cuts the film with brisk concision, there’s also a welcome temporal elasticity here — the sense that life can change in the blink of an eye, but also stall for undefined passages.
-
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and concision.
Noun
-
The transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
-
The conciseness, the visual satisfaction, and the crucial interplay between image and word makes reading a good graphic novel—or, in this case, graphic memoir—an electrifying, transporting experience.
Cite this Entry
“Brevity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brevity. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
