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.
Dozens of students and local activists briefly protested outside the event, adding to a wave of pushback against the build-out of data centers powering AI across the country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
The Durham seamer was dropped for the second Test at Lord's after he was briefly arrested following an incident outside a Derby nightclub on 22 August.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Oil prices have been making small dips, then moving sideways briefly before rising again.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
There was also Nora in September 1997, which was briefly at tropical-storm strength as its center passed along the California-Arizona border, but California was spared the kind of damage it delivered to Baja California.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Pause here, briefly, and put Louis Béroud back in bed.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
