noun · verb · 7 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
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈʃɔːthænd/
UK:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈʃɔɹthænd/
CMU ARPABET:SH AO1 R T HH AE2 N D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A rough and rapid method of writing by substituting symbols for letters, words, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: brachygraphy, stenography, phonography
Antonyms: longhand
2
noun
Meaning 2
Any brief or shortened way of saying or doing something.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, countable, uncountable
Examples
The jargon becomes a shorthand for these advanced concepts.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To render (spoken or written words) into shorthand.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To use a brief or shortened way of saying or doing something.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To write in shorthand.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adjective satellite
Meaning 6
written in abbreviated or symbolic form
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
shorthand notes
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
a method of writing rapidly
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: stenography, tachygraphy
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: handwriting, hand, script
History
Etymology
The noun is derived from short + hand (“handwriting; style of penmanship”). The verb is derived from the noun.
Across languages
Translations
44 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
սղագրություն
(sġagrutʻyun)
— rough and rapid method of writing
Bulgarian:
стеногра́фия
(stenográfija)
— rough and rapid method of writing
Bulgarian:
бързопис
(bǎrzopis)
— rough and rapid method of writing
Czech:
těsnopis
— rough and rapid method of writing
Dutch:
beknotte vorm
— rough and rapid method of writing
Esperanto:
stenografio
— rough and rapid method of writing
Estonian:
kiirkiri
— rough and rapid method of writing
Finnish:
pikakirjoitus
— rough and rapid method of writing
French:
sténographie
— rough and rapid method of writing
Georgian:
სტენოგრაფია
(sṭenograpia)
— rough and rapid method of writing
German:
Kurzschrift
— rough and rapid method of writing
German:
Stenografie
— rough and rapid method of writing
German:
Stenographie
— rough and rapid method of writing
Greek:
ταχυγραφία
(tachygrafía)
— rough and rapid method of writing
Greek:
στενογραφία
(stenografía)
— rough and rapid method of writing
Hindi:
आशुलिपि
(āśulipi)
— rough and rapid method of writing
Hungarian:
gyorsírás
— rough and rapid method of writing
Irish:
gearrscríobh
— rough and rapid method of writing
Irish:
gearrscríbhneoireacht
— rough and rapid method of writing
Italian:
stenografia
— rough and rapid method of writing
Polish:
stenografia
— rough and rapid method of writing
Portuguese:
estenografia
— rough and rapid method of writing
Portuguese:
taquigrafia
— rough and rapid method of writing
Russian:
стеногра́фия
(stenográfija)
— rough and rapid method of writing
Russian:
ско́ропись
(skóropisʹ)
— rough and rapid method of writing
Serbo-Croatian:
stenografija
— rough and rapid method of writing
Slovak:
rýchlopis
— rough and rapid method of writing
Spanish:
taquigrafía
— rough and rapid method of writing
Spanish:
estenografía
— rough and rapid method of writing
Swedish:
stenografi
— rough and rapid method of writing
Thai:
ชวเลข
(chá-wá-lêek)
— rough and rapid method of writing
Turkish:
stenografi
— rough and rapid method of writing
Welsh:
llaw-fer
— rough and rapid method of writing
German:
Stenogramm
— brief or shortened way of saying or doing something
Greek:
συντομογραφία
(syntomografía)
— brief or shortened way of saying or doing something
Icelandic:
stytting
— brief or shortened way of saying or doing something
Polish:
skrót
— brief or shortened way of saying or doing something
Portuguese:
resumo
— brief or shortened way of saying or doing something
Russian:
ско́ропись
(skóropisʹ)
— brief or shortened way of saying or doing something
Russian:
усло́вное обозначе́ние
(uslóvnoje oboznačénije)
— brief or shortened way of saying or doing something
Spanish:
abreviatura
— brief or shortened way of saying or doing something
Bulgarian:
стенографирам
(stenografiram)
— To write in shorthand
