Brevity | ‘brevədē| noun

Concise and exact use of words in writing or speech.

• shortness of time: the brevity of human life.

PHRASES: 

Brevity is the soul of wit —proverb 

i.e. the essence of a witty statement lies in its concise wording and delivery.[from Shakespeare’s Hamlet ii. ii. 90.]

ORIGIN:

 late 15th cent.: from Old French brievete, from Latin brevitas, from brevis ‘brief.’

–From the dictionary on my MacBook: Version 2.2.1 (178)