Standard Lemma guide

breviary

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈbɹɛv.ɪ.əɹ.i/
  • UK: /ˈbɹiː.vɪ.əɹ.i/
  • US: /ˈbɹɛv.i.ɛɹ.i/
  • Canada: /ˈbɹiː.və.ɹi/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A book containing prayers, hymns, and so on for everyday use at the canonical hours.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A brief statement or summary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

(Roman Catholic Church) a book of prayers to be recited daily certain priests and members of religious orders

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: prayer book, prayerbook

History

Etymology

From Latin breviārium (“summary”) (compare abbreviation), ultimately from brevis (“short”). Doublet of brevier and brimborion.

Across languages

Translations

38 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: ծիսարան (cisaran) — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Belarusian: брэвія́рый (brevijáryj) — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Bulgarian: молитвеник (molitvenik) — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Bulgarian: требник (trebnik) — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Chinese Mandarin: 祈祷书 (qídǎoshū) — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Czech: breviář — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Danish: breviar — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Dutch: brevier — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Esperanto: breviero — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Finnish: rukouskirja — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Finnish: breviario — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Finnish: hetkirukouskirja — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • French: bréviaire — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Georgian: კურთხევანი (ḳurtxevani) — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • German: Brevier — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Hungarian: breviárium — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Italian: breviario — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Latvian: breviārs — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Lithuanian: brevijõrius — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Macedonian: тре́бник (trébnik) — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Macedonian: бревија́р (brevijár) — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Macedonian: ча́сослов (čásoslov) — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Macedonian: моли́твеник (molítvenik) — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Macedonian: о́бредник (óbrednik) — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Polish: brewiarz — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Portuguese: breviário — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Portuguese: livro de horas — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Punjabi: ਗੁਟਕਾ (guṭkā) — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Romanian: breviar — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Russian: тре́бник (trébnik) — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Russian: бревиа́рий (breviárij) — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Serbo-Croatian: часослов — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Serbo-Croatian: молитвеник — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Serbo-Croatian: časoslov — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Serbo-Croatian: molitvenik — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Slovak: breviár — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Spanish: breviario — a book containing prayers and hymns
  • Ukrainian: бревіа́рій (breviárij) — a book containing prayers and hymns