in brief

Idioms  

1. Also, in short; in a word. Concisely, in few words, to sum up. All three phrases usually precede or follow a summary statement, as in In brief, we didn't get much out of his speech, or There was no agenda; in short, they could discuss whatever they wanted to, or The sun was shining, the sky was clear—in a word, it was a beautiful day. The first expression dates from the early 1400s; in short dates from the 1300s but the present usage dates from the 1700s; the hyperbolic in a word (since there is nearly always more than one word) dates from the late 1500s.

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Example Sentences

History is the most formidable character in “Lázár”; the family members, evoked in brief, time-hopping chapters, are stretched very thinly across it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Still, she has been tracking the strike from afar, and speaking in brief bursts with sources inside the country.

From Slate • Mar. 3, 2026

Both companies, in brief statements, say they are in talks on a merger that could lead to Rio buying shares of Glencore in an all-stock deal.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 9, 2026

He took the oath on Thursday, in brief and muted proceedings in the army headquarters.

From BBC • Nov. 27, 2025

Why, in brief, did China lose its technological lead to the formerly so backward Europe?

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond