brevity
noun
brev·i·ty
ˈbre-və-tē 
plural brevities
: shortness of duration
especially
: shortness or conciseness of expression
Examples of brevity in a Sentence
Mike Espy resigned under pressure as Secretary of Agriculture yesterday at a news conference remarkable for its brevity and general absence of whining.
—
New York Times, 4 Oct. 1994
Lincoln was able to achieve the loftiness, ideality, and brevity of the Gettysburg Address because he had spent a good part of the 1850s repeatedly relating all the most sensitive issues of the day to the Declaration's supreme principle.
—Garry Wills, Lincoln At Gettysburg, 1992
The book's brevity is its major defect. Admittedly, readers of military history have been smothered by portentous tomes of a thousand pages or more. But 365 pages are too few to tell the Normandy story.
—Drew Middleton, New York Times Book Review, 15 Aug. 1982
"Maudie, I'm sure I don't know what you mean," said Mrs. Merriweather. "I'm sure you do," Miss Maudie said shortly. She said no more. When Miss Maudie was angry, her brevity was icy.
—Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960
The book's major flaw is its brevity.
the best quality a graduation speech can have is brevity
New York Times, 4 Oct. 1994
Lincoln was able to achieve the loftiness, ideality, and brevity of the Gettysburg Address because he had spent a good part of the 1850s repeatedly relating all the most sensitive issues of the day to the Declaration's supreme principle.
—Garry Wills, Lincoln At Gettysburg, 1992
The book's brevity is its major defect. Admittedly, readers of military history have been smothered by portentous tomes of a thousand pages or more. But 365 pages are too few to tell the Normandy story.
—Drew Middleton, New York Times Book Review, 15 Aug. 1982
"Maudie, I'm sure I don't know what you mean," said Mrs. Merriweather. "I'm sure you do," Miss Maudie said shortly. She said no more. When Miss Maudie was angry, her brevity was icy.
—Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960
The book's major flaw is its brevity.
the best quality a graduation speech can have is brevity
Recent Examples on the Web
This video interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and brevity.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 27 Dec. 2024
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
—Adrienne Roberts, Detroit Free Press, 27 Dec. 2024
Themes including complex familial bonds and self-esteem are layered over elements of pop, indie and drum ‘n’ bass, broadening her sound without sacrificing brevity.
—Sophie Williams, Billboard, 4 Dec. 2024
In fact, the show said, both answers were to the same question, but the one featured on the show was for brevity purposes, commonplace in TV journalism.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for brevity 
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Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 27 Dec. 2024
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
—Adrienne Roberts, Detroit Free Press, 27 Dec. 2024
Themes including complex familial bonds and self-esteem are layered over elements of pop, indie and drum ‘n’ bass, broadening her sound without sacrificing brevity.
—Sophie Williams, Billboard, 4 Dec. 2024
In fact, the show said, both answers were to the same question, but the one featured on the show was for brevity purposes, commonplace in TV journalism.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for brevity
Dictionary Entries Near brevity
Cite this Entry
“Brevity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brevity. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
brevity
noun
brev·i·ty
ˈbrev-ət-ē
: the condition of being brief
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