brief
Americanadjective
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lasting or taking a short time; of short duration.
a brief walk; a brief stay in the country.
- Synonyms:
- transient, ephemeral, transitory, fleeting, short-lived
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using few words; concise; succinct.
a brief report on weather conditions.
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abrupt or curt.
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scanty.
a brief bathing suit.
noun
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a short and concise statement or written item.
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an outline, the form of which is determined by set rules, of all the possible arguments and information on one side of a controversy.
a debater's brief.
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Law.
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a writ summoning one to answer to any action.
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a memorandum of points of fact or of law for use in conducting a case.
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a written argument submitted to a court.
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(in England) the material relevant to a case, delivered by a solicitor to the barrister who tries the case.
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an outline, summary, or synopsis, as of a book.
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(used with a plural verb) briefs, close-fitting, legless underpants with an elastic waistband.
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a briefing.
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Roman Catholic Church. a papal letter less formal than a bull, sealed with the pope's signet ring or stamped with the device borne on this ring.
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British Theater. a free ticket; pass.
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Obsolete. a letter.
verb (used with object)
idioms
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in brief, in a few words; in short.
The supervisor outlined in brief the duties of the new assistant.
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hold a brief for, to support or defend by argument; endorse.
adjective
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short in duration
a brief holiday
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short in length or extent; scanty
a brief bikini
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abrupt in manner; brusque
the professor was brief with me this morning
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terse or concise; containing few words
he made a brief statement
noun
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a condensed or short statement or written synopsis; abstract
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law a document containing all the facts and points of law of a case by which a solicitor instructs a barrister to represent a client
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RC Church a letter issuing from the Roman court written in modern characters, as contrasted with a papal bull; papal brief
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short for briefing
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a paper outlining the arguments and information on one side of a debate
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slang a lawyer, esp a barrister
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to argue for; champion
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in short; to sum up
verb
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to prepare or instruct by giving a summary of relevant facts
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to make a summary or synopsis of
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English law
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to instruct (a barrister) by brief
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to retain (a barrister) as counsel
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to supply potentially damaging or negative information regarding somone, as to the media, a politician, etc See also briefs
Usage
What does brief mean? Brief is most commonly used as an adjective to mean lasting a short amount of time.As an adjective, it can also mean concise or said in a few words, as in Keep your introduction brief and get right to the point. Less commonly, brief can describe an action or interaction as abrupt or too short, often in a rude way, as in Please don’t be so brief with customers. The adverb form of the adjective brief is briefly, which most commonly means for a short amount of time or concisely.As a noun, the word brief commonly means a short written item. In a legal context, a brief is a short legal document, such as a written argument submitted to a court or some other short statement of facts for use in a legal case.Brief can also be used as a verb meaning to provide a short explanation or summary of something to someone, as in Each cabinet member will brief the president on the most important issues. The noun briefing refers to a meeting at which someone is briefed in this way.Example: The meeting was very brief—it lasted only a few minutes.
Related Words
Other Word Forms
- briefer noun
- briefly adverb
- briefness noun
- unbrief adjective
- unbriefed adjective
- unbriefly adverb
- unbriefness noun
Etymology
Origin of brief
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bref, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin brevis “short”; breve
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Emma Little-Pengelly virtually attended a briefing with senior UK government security advisers about the situation in the Middle East, alongside the first ministers of Scotland and Wales.
From BBC
Rubio also "laid out the situation" and consulted with the same leaders on Tuesday in an hour-long briefing, the US official said.
From Barron's
Here is a brief history of the countries’ tumultuous relationship.
The administration briefed a small group of congressional leaders ahead of the attack.
From BBC
Negotiations earlier in 2026 had shown brief promise but ultimately collapsed without a comprehensive deal.
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
