briefly
Americanadverb
-
for a short duration.
He stopped over briefly in Chicago.
-
in a few words.
Let me explain briefly.
-
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.
She was diagnosed with a heart condition as a child, had a stroke as a teenager and briefly went deaf in 2020 due to Meniere's disease.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
Offering a layup to politics writers, Drake briefly wonders if the ire he’s earned through decades of digs and questionable interpolations of other artists’ songs is actually antisemitism.
From Salon • May 21, 2026
Last month, it coughed up a crucial game to Manchester City and briefly lost its grip on the title race—despite once holding a nine-point lead.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
Imagine police responding to a robbery by obtaining judicial permission to open every safety deposit box in a neighborhood bank, briefly inspect the contents, and determine afterward which customers seem suspicious.
From Slate • May 20, 2026
None of them looked anything like Hord or Renn; Torak wondered briefly if, like him, they’d lost their parents.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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.
