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.
Due to this weakening, the vortex has stretched and briefly split into two smaller circulations around the Arctic.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
During this deeper stage of sleep, when dreaming is limited or absent, large groups of neurons briefly become inactive and then active again in a coordinated sequence.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026
The Nikkei is 4.2% lower at 60454.75, leading declines in Asia, after briefly falling to 60227.81, its lowest intraday level since May 20.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
Originally listed in August of 2025, the listing was briefly pulled off the market a year later before returning the next day with the same asking price.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026
Even as she briefly abandoned Boaz to gallantly scrub at the graffiti, her mind came up blank.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
