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
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at brief, -ly
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.
Louise Haigh, who briefly served as transport secretary in Sir Keir Starmer's government, has been central to the new MP for Makerfield's operation in recent weeks.
From BBC • Jul. 9, 2026
Albanese sported a wide grin as the two leaders briefly paused at the event to take a selfie photo.
From Barron's • Jul. 9, 2026
Those shares were “just sitting” in its accounts while briefly waiting for the trades to finalize; Hudson Bay lacked the “power to dispose” of them and didn’t beneficially own them, the judges found.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026
Divers could briefly examine the sharks, but the animals typically died soon afterward.
From Science Daily • Jul. 8, 2026
Every year, it woke Clare from sleep, a jolt of energy that tore through the forest and left him briefly gasping for air.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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.
