briefly
Americanadverb
-
for a short duration.
He stopped over briefly in Chicago.
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in a few words.
Let me explain briefly.
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in a brief manner; quickly or brusquely.
She nodded briefly and began to speak.
Usage
What does briefly mean? Briefly means for a short amount of time.It can also mean concisely or in a few words, as opposed to in a longer manner, as in State your main argument briefly in a sentence or two.Briefly is the adverb form of the adjective brief, which most commonly means lasting a short time or concise. Because it’s an adverb, briefly is used to describe verbs (actions), as in I briefly considered it, or adjectives, as in The conversation was briefly tense, but then everyone started to get along.Example: It rained briefly, probably only for a few minutes.
Etymology
Origin of briefly
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.
Hayden, from Cardiff, said she did briefly consider wearing her mum's old wedding dress but decided against it because it was no longer in fashion.
From BBC
Some people briefly managed to access the internet using methods such as SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet and virtual private networks, and may be able to do so again.
From BBC
In that scenario, oil would likely spike briefly and then stabilize as the geopolitical premium fades.
From Barron's
In that scenario, oil would likely spike briefly and then stabilize as the geopolitical premium fades.
From Barron's
In that scenario, oil would likely spike briefly and then stabilize as the geopolitical premium fades.
From Barron's
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.
