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Synonyms

briefcase

American  
[breef-keys] / ˈbrifˌkeɪs /

noun

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

briefcase British  
/ ˈbriːfˌkeɪs /

noun

  1. 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

Etymology

Origin of briefcase

1925–30; brief (noun) + case 2

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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.

George aero-commutes in a glass-domed saucer that folds into a briefcase, and still manages to get stuck in traffic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Despite several security violations over the years, including leaving a briefcase full of classified information on a subway, Ames was then sent to Mexico City in 1981.

From BBC • Jan. 6, 2026

He carried a script he was writing in a slim briefcase, which he’d shuttle back and forth from the brand-new Starbucks down the street.

From Salon • Nov. 23, 2025

And we’re all like, “He has a briefcase with him.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2025

A messenger android holding a briefcase stood in front of them, a bit off to the side.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

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.