breviary

noun

ˈbrē-və-rē How to pronounce breviary (audio)
Definition of breviarynext
as in summary
a short statement of the main points a speech that could serve as a breviary for impeachment

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of breviary Books of Hours are breviaries, or a selection of prayers and psalms taken from long prayer books used by monks. — Brian T. Allen, National Review, 28 Jan. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breviary
  1. summary
  2. summa
  3. outline
Noun
  • Chatbots can also explain complex topics in new ways and condense an overwhelming amount of information into a simple summary.
    — Robin Brewer, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Insiders cited broad industry-wide online traffic problems plaguing numerous online publishers, including Meta’s decision to deprioritize links to news articles and the rise of chatbots and AI summaries, which have decimated search traffic.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of summary
Noun
  • The stage was set for the Fourth, whose five movements add up to a summa of Bartók’s art, by turns tenaciously labored, sinuously swirling, nocturnally eerie, pizzicato-punchy, and flat-out wild.
    — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
  • Alas, Dostoevsky — all of whose major characters clearly embody aspects of his own extremist personality — died in 1881, shortly after completing this summa of his most deeply felt themes and obsessions.
    — Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 24 Aug. 2023
Definition of summa
Noun
  • Johnson gazed at one of his own paintings, which hangs in the dark-red lounge and features outlines of houses.
    — Emma Allen, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • With a softly rounded outline and romantic facets, the cut evokes the era of craftsmanship that determined a diamond’s brilliance.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of outline

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Cite this Entry

“Breviary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breviary. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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