- The definition of an abbreviation is a shortened form of something.
An example of an abbreviation is PA, which is a shortened form of Pennsylvania.
noun
- a making shorter
- the fact or state of being made shorter
- a shortened form of a word or phrase, as N.Y. for New York, Mr. for Mister, lb for pound, ctn for cotangent
Origin: Middle English ; from Middle French abréviation ; from Late Latin abbreviatio: see abbreviate
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
noun
- The act or product of shortening.
- A shortened form of a word or phrase used chiefly in writing to represent the complete form, such as Mass. for Massachusetts or USMC for United States Marine Corps.
abbreviation - Computer Definition
A shortened form of a word or phrase. P-phone, for example, is an abbreviation of Proprietary phone. Acronyms, contractions, and initialisms are special forms of abbreviations comprising the initial letters or other parts of several words that constitute a term. See also acronym, contraction, and initialism.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
abbreviation - Cultural Definition
A shortened form of an expression, usually followed by a period. Dr. is a standard abbreviation for Doctor; MA is a standard abbreviation for Massachusetts.