SHORTHAND Synonyms: 13 Similar and Opposite Words

shorthand

noun

Definition of shorthand

as in stenography

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 shorthand But some Americans are susceptible to believing it, particularly those who came of age during the Cold War, when communism was shorthand for our gravest national threat. — Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026 First introduced by Nicolas Ghesquière in the early 2000s, the slouchy handbag remains shorthand for effortless It-girl style more than two decades later. — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 7 Aug. 2026 The album’s title references the zero interest rate era that fueled Silicon Valley’s startup boom, with Smith using that economic shorthand as a lens for examining technology, streaming culture and modern alienation. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 6 Aug. 2026 The very title is real-world shorthand for technology's role in deciding who lives and who dies — and how the military should respond to any truly autonomous attacks. — ABC News, 26 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for shorthand

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shorthand

Noun

Beginning in the late 19th century, the office also produced a new gender division of labor, as more of the repetitive work—typing, filing, stenography—fell to a secretarial class of women with limited prospects for advancement.

— Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026
Anyone could learn to use the machine in two weeks or less, compared to months or years to master stenography.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 6 Jan. 2026

Definition of stenography

Noun

Traditionally, court reporters have used 22-key steno machines to rapidly take down every word said by lawyers, judges and anyone else who speaks on the record during an official proceeding.

— Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Angie worked in the Justice Building under Attorney General Robert Kennedy and did steno and typing.

— Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 18 Dec. 2025

Definition of steno

Browse Nearby Words

shortfalls

shorthand

shorthands

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Shorthand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shorthand. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of shorthand

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on shorthand

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

circumscribe

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes