brief

[ breef ]

/ brif /

See synonyms for: brief / briefed / briefer / briefing on Thesaurus.com

adjective, brief·er, brief·est.

lasting or taking a short time; of short duration: a brief walk; a brief stay in the country.

using few words; concise; succinct: a brief report on weather conditions.

abrupt or curt.

scanty: a brief bathing suit.

noun

a short and concise statement or written item.

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.

Law.

a writ summoning one to answer to any action.
a memorandum of points of fact or of law for use in conducting a case.
a written argument submitted to a court.
(in England) the material relevant to a case, delivered by a solicitor to the barrister who tries the case.

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

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

a briefing.

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.

British Theater. a free ticket; pass.

Obsolete. a letter.

verb (used with object)

to make an abstract or summary of.

to instruct by a brief or briefing: They brief all the agents before assigning them.

Law. to retain as advocate in a suit.

SYNONYMS FOR brief

1 short-lived, fleeting, transitory, ephemeral, transient.

2 terse, compact, pithy, condensed.

5 outline, précis, epitome, abstract.

14 summarize, outline.

See synonyms for brief on Thesaurus.com

QUIZZES

THIS PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ IS PERFECT PRACTICE FOR THE REAL TEST

In our third teacher-created PSAT practice test there are new and unique vocabulary terms you may have never heard of! Can you guess what they mean?

Question 1 of 10

seclusion

a false belief or opinion.

the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid.

the state of being isolated, kept apart, or withdrawn into solitude.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for brief

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

in brief, in a few words; in short: The supervisor outlined in brief the duties of the new assistant.

Origin of brief

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

synonym study for brief

1. See short. 5. See summary.

OTHER WORDS FROM brief

briefer, nounbriefness, nounun·brief, adjectiveun·brief·ly, adverb

un·brief·ness, nounun·briefed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for brief

There is even a brief chapter in which Bezos explains why he bought The Washington Post.
Jeff Bezos’s thoughts on Big Business, outer space and The Washington Post|James Ledbetter|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
As he disarmingly and frankly acknowledges, little is certain beyond that the fire started near the Circus Maximus and, with a brief respite, burned for nine days.
What was Nero really doing while Rome burned?|Diana Preston|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
For that brief moment last Sunday, it appeared his rise was going to include his first NFL touchdown, as he hurdled Detroit Lions cornerback Justin Coleman just a few yards from the goal line.
For undrafted NFL rookies, the odds were even longer this year. Isaiah Wright made it anyway.|Sam Fortier|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
When Knox appealed a second time to the Supreme Court, Attorney General Janet Reno filed her own brief arguing that the appeals court had ruled properly — a highly unusual departure from the argument of her own solicitor general.
Drew S. Days III, first African American to lead civil rights division at Justice Department, dies at 79|Emily Langer|November 20, 2020|Washington Post

RaceAhead is back after a brief hiatus and will return to a normal schedule next week.
Reflecting an election without end|Ellen McGirt|November 13, 2020|Fortune
Republican senators who were briefed on the crisis in Iraq Thursday also were reluctant to support U.S. air strikes in Iraq.
U.S. Aircraft Could Strike Iraq Tomorrow|Eli Lake, Tim Mak|June 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Relatives of passengers and the crew have been briefed on the existence of the unidentified objects.
Australia Spots Two Objects in the Hunt for MH370|Lennox Samuels|March 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The rocket shipment seized on Wednesday, according to an IDF spokesman who briefed reporters, began in Damascus.
Israel Seizes Iranian Rockets—and Pounces on Tehran for ‘Supplying Terrorists’|Eli Lake|March 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Members of Congress have been briefed on it and on what the administration has been doing under its terms.
The NSA Program and the Law|Michael Tomasky|June 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
That claim soon evaporated as the administration conceded that she had "briefed" Chief of Staff Dennis McDonough and other aides.
The White House and the IRS: A Carteresque Fiasco|Robert Shrum|May 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Because I reassigned them, at the same time I briefed them, and made these other assignments.
Warren Commission (12 of 26): Hearings Vol. XII (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
As we studied the pictures and charts, Stimson briefed us on the course of action.
The Image and the Likeness|John Scott Campbell
That outfit had only been on Kwannon for the last two thousand hours, but somebody should have briefed him better than that.
Oomphel in the Sky|Henry Beam Piper
At lunch time it was a question whether another leader should be briefed.
Beatrice|H. Rider Haggard
Soon after he had begun to make his mark he was briefed against the claimant in the famous “Tichborne Case.”
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 3|Various

British Dictionary definitions for brief

brief

/ (briːf) /

adjective

short in durationa brief holiday

short in length or extent; scantya brief bikini

abrupt in manner; brusquethe professor was brief with me this morning

terse or concise; containing few wordshe made a brief statement

noun

a condensed or short statement or written synopsis; abstract

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

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

short for briefing

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

British slang a lawyer, esp a barrister

hold a brief for to argue for; champion

in brief in short; to sum up

verb (tr)

to prepare or instruct by giving a summary of relevant facts

to make a summary or synopsis of

English law

to instruct (a barrister) by brief
to retain (a barrister) as counsel

(intr foll by against) to supply potentially damaging or negative information regarding somone, as to the media, a politician, etcSee also briefs

Derived forms of brief

briefly, adverbbriefness, noun

Word Origin for brief

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

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

Idioms and Phrases with brief

brief

see hold no brief for; in brief.

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

brief

adjective, brief·er, brief·est.

noun

verb (used with object)

SYNONYMS FOR brief

QUIZZES

THIS PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ IS PERFECT PRACTICE FOR THE REAL TEST

Idioms for brief

Origin of brief

synonym study for brief

OTHER WORDS FROM brief

Example sentences from the Web for brief

British Dictionary definitions for brief

adjective

noun

verb (tr)

Derived forms of brief

Word Origin for brief

Idioms and Phrases with brief

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

brief

adjective, brief·er, brief·est.

noun

verb (used with object)

SYNONYMS FOR brief

QUIZZES

THIS PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ IS PERFECT PRACTICE FOR THE REAL TEST

Idioms for brief

Origin of brief

synonym study for brief

OTHER WORDS FROM brief

Words related to brief

Example sentences from the Web for brief

British Dictionary definitions for brief

adjective

noun

verb (tr)

Derived forms of brief

Word Origin for brief

Idioms and Phrases with brief