Abbreviature is a word that refers to a shortened or abbreviated form of a word or phrase. Synonyms for abbreviature include abbreviation, acronym, symbol, initialism, and shorthand. An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase, while an acronym is a abbreviation formed from the first letter of each word in a phrase. A symbol is a character or sign used to represent something else. An initialism is an abbreviation pronounced one letter at a time, while shorthand is a system of writing that uses symbols or shorthand letters to represent words or phrases. All of these synonyms for abbreviature are useful tools for condensing language, leaving more space or time to communicate effectively.