brief

[breef]

adjective

briefer, briefest 

1. lasting or taking a short time; of short duration.

   a brief walk; a brief stay in the country.

   Synonyms: transient, ephemeral, transitory, fleeting, short-lived

2. using few words; concise; succinct.

   a brief report on weather conditions.

   Synonyms: condensed, pithy, compact, terse

3. abrupt or curt.

4. scanty.

   a brief bathing suit.

noun

1. a short and concise statement or written item.

   Synonyms: abstract, epitome, précis, outline

2. an outline, the form of which is determined by set rules, of all the possible arguments and information on one side of a controversy.

   a debater's brief.

3. Law.

   1. a writ summoning one to answer to any action.

   2. a memorandum of points of fact or of law for use in conducting a case.

   3. a written argument submitted to a court.

   4. (in England) the material relevant to a case, delivered by a solicitor to the barrister who tries the case.

4. an outline, summary, or synopsis, as of a book.

5. (used with a plural verb),  briefs, close-fitting, legless underpants with an elastic waistband.

6. a briefing.

7. Roman Catholic Church.,  a papal letter less formal than a bull, sealed with the pope's signet ring or stamped with the device borne on this ring.

8. British Theater.,  a free ticket; pass.

9. Obsolete.,  a letter.

verb (used with object)

1. to make an abstract or summary of.

   Synonyms: outline, summarize

2. to instruct by a brief or briefing.

   They brief all the agents before assigning them.

3. Law.,  to retain as advocate in a suit.

brief

/ briːf /

adjective

1. short in duration

   a brief holiday

2. short in length or extent; scanty

   a brief bikini

3. abrupt in manner; brusque

   the professor was brief with me this morning

4. terse or concise; containing few words

   he made a brief statement

noun

1. a condensed or short statement or written synopsis; abstract

2. law a document containing all the facts and points of law of a case by which a solicitor instructs a barrister to represent a client

3. RC Church a letter issuing from the Roman court written in modern characters, as contrasted with a papal bull; papal brief

4. short for briefing

5. a paper outlining the arguments and information on one side of a debate

6. slang,  a lawyer, esp a barrister

7. to argue for; champion

8. in short; to sum up

verb

1. to prepare or instruct by giving a summary of relevant facts

2. to make a summary or synopsis of

3. English law

   1. to instruct (a barrister) by brief

   2. to retain (a barrister) as counsel

4. to supply potentially damaging or negative information regarding somone, as to the media, a politician, etc See also briefs

Other Word Forms

• briefer noun
• briefness noun
• unbrief adjective
• unbriefly adverb
• unbriefness noun
• unbriefed adjective
• briefly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of brief¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bref, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin brevis “short”; breve

Word History and Origins

Origin of brief¹

C14: from Old French bref , from Latin brevis ; related to Greek brakhus

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in brief, in a few words; in short.

   The supervisor outlined in brief the duties of the new assistant.

2. hold a brief for, to support or defend by argument; endorse.

see hold no brief for; in brief.

Synonym Study

See short. See summary.

Example Sentences

The “Good Luck, Babe!” singer’s return to L.A. will wrap up a brief North American tour where the venues finally felt appropriate to her stature as one of the breakout pop acts of the decade.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Following a brief spell of weak La Nina conditions between December 2024 to March this year, neutral conditions had persisted, but the US National Weather Service declared Thursday La Nina was back.

Read more on Barron's

In one marketing brief it was referred to as “removing gaseous contaminants” from the air supply.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Within 45 seconds, he sold for a $500 profit, much like a hedge fund capitalizing on a brief mispricing in a stock.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Athletic careers are typically brief, the window for earning far smaller than being, say, a lawyer, or a terrible sports columnist.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• concise 
• fleeting 
• momentary 
• quick 
• short-lived 
• swift 
• temporary 

When To Use

What does brief mean?

Brief is most commonly used as an adjective to mean lasting a short amount of time.As an adjective, it can also mean concise or said in a few words, as in Keep your introduction brief and get right to the point. Less commonly, brief can describe an action or interaction as abrupt or too short, often in a rude way, as in Please don’t be so brief with customers. The adverb form of the adjective brief is briefly, which most commonly means for a short amount of time or concisely.As a noun, the word brief commonly means a short written item. In a legal context, a brief is a short legal document, such as a written argument submitted to a court or some other short statement of facts for use in a legal case.Brief can also be used as a verb meaning to provide a short explanation or summary of something to someone, as in Each cabinet member will brief the president on the most important issues. The noun briefing refers to a meeting at which someone is briefed in this way.Example: The meeting was very brief—it lasted only a few minutes.