Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for briefless. Search instead for thiefless.

briefless

American  
[breef-lis] / ˈbrif lɪs /

adjective

  1. having no brief.

  2. having no clients, as a lawyer.


briefless British  
/ ˈbriːflɪs /

adjective

  1. (said of a barrister) without clients

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of briefless

1815–25; brief (noun) + -less


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.

See Examples For:

After a brief and briefless stab at the law in Manhattan, his Transcript record got him a job with Edward Bok for a spirited, 18-month campaign against quack patent medicines in the Ladies' Home Journal.

From Time Magazine Archive

In London you certainly were a briefless barrister.

From The Battle of The Press As Told in the Story of the Life of Richard Carlile By His Daughter, Theophila Carlile Campbell by Theophila Carlile Campbell

Lucien was not yet admitted to Aix; Joseph was a barrister, to be sure, but briefless.

From The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte Vol. I. (of IV.) by William Milligan Sloane

A. Certainly not; but a well-feed Q.C. is more than a match for a briefless Counsel whose professional sustenance is "soup."

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 104, April 15, 1893 by Sir F. C. (Francis Cowley) Burnand

But Mr. Anderson would have none of the briefless youth; his prosperity had fed his pride—a lawyer without a case was not a fit match for his daughter.

From The Candidate A Political Romance by Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander) Altsheler

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training