briefcase

[ breef-keys ]

/ ˈbrifˌkeɪs /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for briefcase on Thesaurus.com

noun

a flat, rectangular case with a handle, often of leather, for carrying books, papers, etc.

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!

Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between "it’s" and "its" in this crafty quiz!

Question 1 of 8

On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.

it's

its

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of briefcase

1925–30; brief (noun) + case²

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH briefcase

briefcase , handbag, pocketbook, purse, valise, wallet

Words nearby briefcase

bridle suture, bridlewise, bridoon, Brie, brief, briefcase, briefing, briefless, briefly, briefs, Brienz

How to use briefcase in a sentence

You can carry a change of clothes, make-up, a briefcase or big purse, and lunch box in their convenient side racks.
Incentivizing E-Bikes Would Be Money Well Spent|Paul Krueger|May 10, 2021|Voice of San Diego
I left a metal briefcase, a gift that was sent to me, sitting near a colleague’s desk, unmarked and unattended.
The upside of teasing, gossip, and eavesdropping at the office|Lila MacLellan|May 10, 2021|Quartz
Put that briefcase away for as long as your out of office response is turned on, and try to drive down different roads when you head into town for errands.
Stuck at home? Trick your brain into treating a staycation like the real thing.|Eleanor Cummins|December 22, 2020|Popular-Science
She would often buy thoughtful gifts for her colleagues and friends, and just before the pandemic, Pineda said, Campos gave her a briefcase for carrying papers to work.
Elsi Mabelicia Campos, devoted mother who kept the Pew building spotless, dies of covid-19|Samantha Schmidt|December 10, 2020|Washington Post

I’m going to get up and put my shoes on and get my briefcase and go back to work.
She fell into QAnon and went viral for destroying a Target mask display. Now she’s rebuilding her life.|Travis Andrews|November 11, 2020|Washington Post
I settle for a sweater and jacket and throw a tie in my briefcase just in case it turns out to be the prom.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Although in that film, the briefcase contained an atomic bomb.
The Secrets of ‘Pulp Fiction’: 20 Things You Didn’t Know About the Movie on Its 20th Anniversary|Marlow Stern|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He is clutching more out of habit than for any practical reason his black briefcase.
Inside East Ukraine’s Make-Believe Republics|Jamie Dettmer|May 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He searches patiently through his briefcase and produces a round-trip ticket for the seat in question.
Stacks: Hitting the Note with the Allman Brothers Band|Grover Lewis|March 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He opens the briefcase to reveal hundreds of well-thumbed sheets of paper filled with typewritten words.
The Stacks: The True Greatness of Muhammad Ali|Peter Richmond|February 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There was something smug about the way he picked up his heels, swung his briefcase.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
A stocky man dodged around from behind the woman and came rapidly down the platform, neat, crisp, briefcase under his arm.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
He'd probably try to get his foolish little briefcase in front of him like a shield.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
Engel called "Fourteen" and got out there, briefcase tightly clutched up under his arm, its flap unbuckled.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
He brought himself back with a grimace, aware that he was clutching the briefcase of tapes possessively from long habit.
We're Friends, Now|Henry Hasse

British Dictionary definitions for briefcase

briefcase

/ (ˈbriːfˌkeɪs) /

noun

a flat portable case, often of leather, for carrying papers, books, etc

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

briefcase

COMPARE MEANINGS

Origin of briefcase

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH briefcase

Words nearby briefcase

Words related to briefcase

How to use briefcase in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for briefcase