noun, verb, adj — 6 senses
Etymology First attested in 1581; borrowed from Latin breviātum, from the perfect passive participle of breviō (“shorten, abridge”), see -ate (noun-forming suffix).
A short account, brief statement; a summary, abridgement or precis
A brief missive or dispatch; a note.
A lawyer's brief.
Etymology First attested in the beginning of the 16ᵗʰ century; either borrowed from Latin breviātus, the perfect passive participle of breviō (“shorten, abridge”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)) or apheretic form of abbreviate.
Obsolete To abbreviate, shorten.
Obsolete To abstract for counsel's instruction, to brief
Etymology First attested in the beginning of the 16ᵗʰ century; either borrowed from Latin breviātus, the perfect passive participle of breviō (“shorten, abridge”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)) or apheretic form of abbreviate.
Obsolete Abbreviated, short.
Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.