breviate I. breviatetransitive verb (-ed/-ing/-s) Etymology: Latin breviatus, past participle of breviare to shorten, from brevis short — more at brief obsolete: abbreviate, abridge II. bre·vi·ate\ˈbrēvēə̇t\noun (-s) 1.: compendium, summary, abstract 2.obsolete: a brief note or dispatch; also: a lawyer's brief