shorthand
noun
short·hand
ˈshȯrt-ˌhand 
1
: a method of writing rapidly by substituting characters, abbreviations, or symbols for letters, sounds, words, or phrases : stenography
2
: something likened to shorthand especially in providing rapid or abbreviated communication or representation
stereotype and cliché serve a purpose as a form of shorthand—
Stephanie Ericsson
Stephanie Ericssonheadline shorthand
shorthand
adjective
Examples of shorthand in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jones uses the letters WUI as shorthand for Wildland Urban Interface, which Los Angeles has by the thousands of acres, including in the Palisades and the base of the San Gabriel Mountains.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
The rhetorical question was meant to help believers think about their actions toward others, a kind of ethical shorthand.
—Jason Derose, NPR, 20 Jan. 2025
In a career that spanned more than four decades, the director—who was also a musician, a visual artist, and an actor—established such a signature aesthetic that Lynchian became a shorthand adjective for things that were odd, disquieting, and, above all, dreamlike.
—Vogue, 16 Jan. 2025
Startling in their familiarity, these scenes have become a shorthand for an ongoing nightmare.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for shorthand 
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Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
The rhetorical question was meant to help believers think about their actions toward others, a kind of ethical shorthand.
—Jason Derose, NPR, 20 Jan. 2025
In a career that spanned more than four decades, the director—who was also a musician, a visual artist, and an actor—established such a signature aesthetic that Lynchian became a shorthand adjective for things that were odd, disquieting, and, above all, dreamlike.
—Vogue, 16 Jan. 2025
Startling in their familiarity, these scenes have become a shorthand for an ongoing nightmare.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for shorthand
Dictionary Entries Near shorthand
Cite this Entry
“Shorthand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shorthand. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shorthand
noun
short·hand
ˈshȯrt-ˌhand
1
: a method of rapid writing by using symbols for sounds, words, or phrases
2
: a short or quick way of showing or saying something
shorthand
adjective
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