1. to make something last for a shorter period of time; to reduce the length or extent of time
The company decided to abbreviate the duration of the meeting to save time.
A empresa decidiu abreviar a duração da reunião para economizar tempo.
2. to shorten or cut short the time span of an event, process, or activity
We had to abbreviate the duration of our vacation due to unexpected circumstances.
Tivemos que abreviar a duração das nossas férias devido a circunstâncias inesperadas.