brief

American  

[breef] / brif /

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.

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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.

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.

brief British  

/ 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

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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

brief More Idioms  

1. see hold no brief for; in brief.

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Usage

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.

Related Words

See short. See summary.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of brief

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

Explanation

Something brief is short and to the point. If you make a brief visit, you don't stay long. If you make a brief statement, you use few words. If you wear brief shorts, you are showing a little too much leg. As a noun, a brief is a condensed summary or abstract, especially a legal summary of a case. Lawyers submit pretrial briefs to the court outlining the witnesses for the prosecution or defense. As a verb, brief means to give essential information to someone — like the President gets briefed on important matters.

Example Sentences

Beane never found success in his brief major-league career.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

The Duke of Sussex has combined two of his passions - mental health campaigning and sport - to kick off the second day of a brief Australia visit.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Just days before the defendants’ deadline to file their opening brief with the federal appeals court, the DOJ filed the motion to vacate the convictions altogether.

From Salon • Apr. 15, 2026

Other than a brief jump in 2020, Avanos stock had been on a gradual decline since September 2018, when it hit a record closing high of $72.65.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

They had a brief glimpse at 4:42 P.M., about an hour after the power went out.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

Related Words

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