briefly
Americanadverb
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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
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at brief, -ly
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.
It made it possible to capture interactions that occur only briefly or within particular regions of an infected cell.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
Apple’s market capitalization during Friday trading, when it briefly overtook Nvidia to become the world’s most valuable company.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
The name of the country was briefly shown in last year’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” which featured the character’s Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in its post-credits scene.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
For larger or thicker cubes, briefly cook the pancetta in a skillet before adding it to the tarts.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
Such windows open, but briefly and only once.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
