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
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.
Munster mounted periods of concerted pressure in the second half and Jack Crowley's two tries briefly threatened a comeback, but Exeter's famed defence held firm.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
Bloom, don’t simmer Spices and aromatics cooked briefly in fat open up quickly, creating depth in minutes rather than hours.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
Kamila Deavers, who led the project, became interested in lead exposure after her young daughter briefly showed elevated lead levels linked to toy coatings, before stricter regulations were introduced.
From Science Daily • Apr. 2, 2026
“As flames engulfed the home, Chelo was briefly seen on the porch,” the GoFundMe page said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
In Dr. Mike Burry’s first year in business, he grappled briefly with the social dimension of running money.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
