1
as in shortness
the condition of being short
the best quality a graduation speech can have is brevity
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brevity
Questions have been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
—
Chandler Rome, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
During the teams’ three meetings this season, the postgame handshakes between Bears coach Ben Johnson and Packers Coach Matt LaFleur may have set a record for brevity, writes Phil Thompson.
—Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
At the second annual WWD Style Awards, brevity was in vogue.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 10 Jan. 2026
The conversation was edited for clarity and brevity.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brevity
Chandler Rome, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
During the teams’ three meetings this season, the postgame handshakes between Bears coach Ben Johnson and Packers Coach Matt LaFleur may have set a record for brevity, writes Phil Thompson.
—Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
At the second annual WWD Style Awards, brevity was in vogue.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 10 Jan. 2026
The conversation was edited for clarity and brevity.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brevity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brevity
Noun
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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).—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Luzzatto said the relative shortness of that term is scaring away capital.—
Matthew Geiger,
Denver Post,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
While both of these features are free to all, the AI-powered proofreading tool that addresses word choice, concision and active voice is only available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.—
Jacqueline Munis,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
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This conversation has been edited and condensed for concision and clarity.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
24 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
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.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Jan. 2026
-
The interview was edited for clarity and conciseness.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brevity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brevity. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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