breviary

noun

bre·​via·​ry ˈbrē-və-rē How to pronounce breviary (audio)
-vyə-,
-vē-ˌer-ē,
-ˌe-rē,
 also  ˈbre-
plural breviaries
1
often capitalized
a
: a book of the prayers, hymns, psalms, and readings for the canonical hours
2
[Latin breviarium] : a brief summary

Examples of breviary in a Sentence

a speech that could serve as a breviary for impeachment
Recent Examples on the Web 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 In the breviary-like Logia of Yeshua, Davenport and his coauthor, Benjamin Urrutia, assembled everything reportedly spoken by Jesus. Michael Dirda, National Review, 25 July 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'breviary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English breviarie, from Medieval Latin breviarium, from Latin, summary, from brevis

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of breviary was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near breviary

Cite this Entry

“Breviary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breviary. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

breviary

noun
bre·​via·​ry ˈbrē-v(y)ə-rē How to pronounce breviary (audio)
-vē-ˌer-ē
plural breviaries
: a book containing prayers, hymns, and readings especially for priests for each day of the year

More from Merriam-Webster on breviary

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!