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.

---

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

She made her Broadway debut in 1974, appearing in brief productions of “Love for Love” and “The Rules of the Game.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 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

"No meeting is scheduled. The French presidency is willing to hold one," Macron told AFP in brief remarks after he delivered a speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

From Barron's • Jan. 20, 2026

Once, when he passed, one of the boys had said: “Here comes Reverend Grimes,” and nodded, in brief, respectful silence.

From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin