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

See Examples For:

in brief

Coast Guard graduates on Wednesday, told reporters in brief remarks that the U.S. and Iran were in the “final stages” of talks to end the conflict.

From MarketWatch ● May 20, 2026

But, in brief remarks after an afternoon White House meeting, Trump appeared pleased.

From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026

In wet winters, the valleys beyond town awaken in color as sand verbena, desert sunflower, evening primrose and pincushion gather in brief, luminous blooms across the desert floor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 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

We start catching the actual river in brief glances off to our left side as we go.

From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness