briefly
[breef-lee]
- for a short duration: He stopped over briefly in Chicago.
- in a few words: Let me explain briefly.
- in a brief manner; quickly or brusquely: She nodded briefly and began to speak.
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Origin of briefly
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for briefly
Contemporary Examples
Lee and Coogan did briefly meet with the pope, with pictures to prove it, but no one at the Vatican officially screened the film.
Pope Francis Has the Pleasure of Meeting Angelina Jolie for a Few SecondsBarbie Latza Nadeau
January 8, 2015
He was courteous, explained the legitimate reason we were briefly pulled over, and then let us continue on our way.
I was briefly scared into eating regularly, but all too soon, the fears fade and my old habits return.
Briefly, blister rust is an Asian fungus introduced from Europe to America around 1900.
Shostakovich was briefly in Moscow, and he was summoned to the theater.
Historical Examples
Captain Birch briefly responded on behalf of the Volunteers.
Explorations in AustraliaJohn Forrest
Briefly she outlined the situation to Emma, who had long been her confidante.
Grace Harlowe's Return to Overton CampusJessie Graham Flower
"You never know where you are with them guys," he said briefly.
KMary Roberts Rinehart
Simba briefly indicated the three nearest to act as his assistants.
The Leopard WomanStewart Edward White
Throwing my cloak down, I placed the girl on it and briefly related what had happened.
Green MansionsW. H. Hudson
Word Origin and History for briefly
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper