briefly
Americanadverb
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for a short duration.
He stopped over briefly in Chicago.
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in a few words.
Let me explain briefly.
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in a brief manner; quickly or brusquely.
She nodded briefly and began to speak.
Usage
What does briefly mean? Briefly means for a short amount of time.It can also mean concisely or in a few words, as opposed to in a longer manner, as in State your main argument briefly in a sentence or two.Briefly is the adverb form of the adjective brief, which most commonly means lasting a short time or concise. Because it’s an adverb, briefly is used to describe verbs (actions), as in I briefly considered it, or adjectives, as in The conversation was briefly tense, but then everyone started to get along.Example: It rained briefly, probably only for a few minutes.
Etymology
Origin of briefly
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.
In September, French authorities boarded the vessel, which claimed to be flagged in Benin, briefly detaining its captain and first mate.
From Barron's
The Relative Strength Index briefly dipped below 30 for the first time in at least a year, pushing the stock out of oversold territory, an encouraging reset.
From Barron's
French authorities boarded the vessel in September, briefly detaining its captain and first mate.
From Barron's
Miami came out after the break with more aggression, and Messi briefly pulling the strings, firing another shot just over the crossbar.
From Barron's
Recently, the salsa legend was name-checked in Nuevayol by Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny and briefly appeared in the song's music video.
From BBC
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.
