briefly

American

[breef-lee] / ˈbrif li /

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.

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; 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.

In footage shared earlier this week, Woods told officers that he was briefly distracted by his phone before he clipped the trailer of a vehicle in front of him.

From Salon • Apr. 2, 2026

For now, February’s retail figures stand as a snapshot of an economy that was briefly gathering strength, before war reared its head.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Hundreds of the chain’s outlets briefly closed, and it took out a full-page ad in British newspapers to apologize—kind of.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Goldhaber and Mazzei briefly dated in high school in Boulder, where they both grew up.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

He turns, glancing briefly at us, and it feels as if the scene drops into slow motion.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023