(n.) The art of writing in shorthand, by using abbreviations or characters for whole words; shorthand.

Speedwriting abatement abbreviation abridgment alleviation apocope aposiopesis attenuation brachygraphy clipping coarctation constriction crasis cutting dampening damping decrease decrement decrescence deduction deflation depreciation depression diminishment diminution dying dying off elision ellipsis extenuation fade-out languishment lessening letup lowering miniaturization mitigation narrowing phonography pruning reduction relaxation sagging scaling down shortening shorthand simplicity stenography stricture subtraction syncope syneresis tachygraphy taper tapering truncation weakening