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briefly

[breef-lee]

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR briefly ON THESAURUS.COM

adverb

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.

Origin of briefly

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at brief, -ly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for briefly

shortly, momentarily, temporarily, quickly, summarily, succinctly, hastily, fleetingly, transiently

Examples from the Web for briefly

Contemporary Examples of briefly

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 Seconds
Barbie 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.
Obama Is Right on Race. The Media Is Wrong.
Keli Goff
December 29, 2014
I was briefly scared into eating regularly, but all too soon, the fears fade and my old habits return.
You’re Never ‘Cured’ of an Eating Disorder
Carrie Arnold
December 20, 2014
Briefly, blister rust is an Asian fungus introduced from Europe to America around 1900.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear
Doug Peacock
November 23, 2014
Shostakovich was briefly in Moscow, and he was summoned to the theater.
When Stalin Met Lady Macbeth
Brian Moynahan
November 9, 2014

Historical Examples of briefly

Captain Birch briefly responded on behalf of the Volunteers.
Explorations in Australia
John Forrest
Briefly she outlined the situation to Emma, who had long been her confidante.
Grace Harlowe's Return to Overton Campus
Jessie Graham Flower
"You never know where you are with them guys," he said briefly.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart
Simba briefly indicated the three nearest to act as his assistants.
The Leopard Woman
Stewart Edward White
Throwing my cloak down, I placed the girl on it and briefly related what had happened.
Green Mansions
W. H. Hudson

Word Origin and History for briefly

adv.

c.1300, from brief (adj.) + -ly (2). As an introduction to a statement, "in short," recorded from 1510s.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper