different between abbreviate vs lessen

English

Etymology 1

Either from Middle English abbreviaten, from Latin abbrevi?tus, perfect passive participle of abbrevi? (“to shorten”), formed from ad + brevi? (“shorten”), from brevis (“short”) or back-formation from abbreviation. Doublet of abridge.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?.?b?i?.vi.e?t/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??b?i.vi.e?t/

Verb

abbreviate (third-person singular simple present abbreviates, present participle abbreviating, simple past and past participle abbreviated)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To shorten by omitting parts or details. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 17^th century.]
2. (obsolete, intransitive) To speak or write in a brief manner. [Attested from the late 16^th century until the early 17^th century.]
3. (transitive) To make shorter; to shorten (in time); to abridge; to shorten by ending sooner than planned. [First attested from around (1350 to 1470).]
4. (transitive) To reduce a word or phrase by means of contraction or omission to a shorter recognizable form. [First attested in the late 16^th century.]
5. (transitive, mathematics) To reduce to lower terms, as a fraction.

Synonyms

• abridge
• compress
• condense
• contract
• curtail
• epitomize
• reduce
• shorten

Antonyms

• amplify
• dilate
• elongate
• enlarge
• expand
• expatiate
• extend
• lengthen
• produce
• prolong
• stretch

Related terms

• abbreviation
• abbreviator

Translations

Etymology 2

• From Late Latin abbrevi?tus, perfect passive participle of abbrevi? (“abbreviate”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /??b?i.vi.?t/, /??b?i.vi.e?t/

Adjective

abbreviate (comparative more abbreviate, superlative most abbreviate)

1. (obsolete) Abbreviated; abridged; shortened. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the late 17^th century]
2. (biology) Having one part relatively shorter than another or than the ordinary type. [First attested in the mid 19^th century.]

Translations

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /??b?i.vi.e?t/

Noun

abbreviate (plural abbreviates)

1. (obsolete) An abridgment. [Mid 16^th century.]

Translations

References

Interlingua

Adjective

abbreviate (comparative plus abbreviate, superlative le plus abbreviate)

1. Being abbreviated.

Italian

Verb

abbreviate

1. second-person plural present of abbreviare
2. second-person plural imperative of abbreviare

Anagrams

• abbeverati

Latin

Verb

abbrevi?te

1. second-person plural present active imperative of abbrevi?

Scots

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??bri?v??t/

Noun

abbreviate (plural abbreviates)

1. (law) an abstract, an abridgement

Usage notes

• Used in adjudication and sequestration.

English

Etymology

From Middle English lessenen, lasnen, equivalent to less +? -en (verbal suffix).

Pronunciation

• enPR: l??s?n, IPA^(key): /?l?s?n/
• Rhymes: -?s?n
• Homophone: lesson

Verb

lessen (third-person singular simple present lessens, present participle lessening, simple past and past participle lessened)

1. (transitive) To make less; to diminish; to reduce.
   • a. 1686, Benjamin Calamy, a sermon

     Charity […] shall lessen his punishment.

   • December 6, 1709, Francis Atterbury, a sermon preach'd before the sons of the clergy at their anniversary-meeting in the Church of St. Paul

     St. Paul chose to magnify his office when ill men conspired to lessen it.
2. (intransitive) To become less.

Translations

Conjunction

lessen

1. (nonstandard, dialect) unless.

Anagrams

• Elsens, elsens, lenses, sensel

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?l?s?(n)/
• Rhymes: -?s?n

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch lesschen, from a merger of two Old Dutch [Term?] verbs:

• *leskan, from Proto-Germanic *leskan?; class 5 strong, intransitive.
• lesken, from Proto-Germanic *laskijan?; class 1 weak, causative of the first verb.

Verb

lessen

1. (transitive) to quench (thirst)

Inflection

Derived terms

• blussen

Etymology 2

From les +? -en.

Verb

lessen

1. (intransitive) to take a lesson (usually a driving lesson)

Inflection

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the main entry.

Noun

lessen

1. Plural form of les

Hungarian

Etymology

les +? -jen

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?l????n]
• Hyphenation: les?sen

Verb

lessen

1. third-person singular subjunctive present indefinite of les

Swedish

Adjective

lessen

1. Alternative spelling of ledsen

Anagrams

• selens