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Showing Results for "briefing"
See Also:
  • present participle of brief.
Synonyms

briefing

American  
[bree-fing] / ˈbri fɪŋ /

noun

  1. Military. a short, factual oral summary of the details of a current or projected military operation given to the participants or observers.

  2. any set of concise instructions or a summary of events.


briefing British  
/ ˈbriːfɪŋ /

noun

  1. a meeting at which detailed information or instructions are given, as for military operations, etc

  2. the facts presented during such a meeting

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of briefing

First recorded in 1860–65; brief + -ing 1

Explanation

If you plan on going to the briefing at the White House, you'd better bring your audio recorder. These informational sessions can get very detailed, and you'll need to review the audio record. When a lawyer appears before a court, they bring with them a "brief," a detailed explanation of their case that's anything but brief. This brief is a sort of briefing for the judge on the details of the case. Whenever you give someone a detailed explanation or set of instructions about something, it's a briefing. Briefing is the noun form of the word brief. The White House press corps meets in the "briefing room" to get briefed on the news of the president's day.

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Vocabulary lists containing briefing

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.

"Nearly 1.47 million people remain displaced in the country," Gregoire Goodstein, the IOM chief of mission in Haiti, told a press briefing in Geneva.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

"That scale is possible," said Jason Asher, director of CDC's Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics, during a press briefing.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

At a press briefing Saturday, Ms. Sherrill alluded to Minneapolis.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

Beattie told BBC Radio Ulster's The Nolan Show on Monday that there was "an insidious element within the party who have been continually briefing against me with regards to selections and other issues".

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

Following the briefing and a moment of prayer with Reverend Wright, Barack walked out to greet the audience, his appearance met with a roar I could hear from inside the capitol.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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