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This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
adjective, brief·er, brief·est.
lasting or taking a short time; of short duration: a brief walk; a brief stay in the country.
using few words; concise; succinct: a brief report on weather conditions.
abrupt or curt.
scanty: a brief bathing suit.
noun
a short and concise statement or written item.
an outline, the form of which is determined by set rules, of all the possible arguments and information on one side of a controversy: a debater’s brief.
Law.
- a writ summoning one to answer to any action.
- a memorandum of points of fact or of law for use in conducting a case.
- a written argument submitted to a court.
- (in England) the material relevant to a case, delivered by a solicitor to the barrister who tries the case.
an outline, summary, or synopsis, as of a book.
briefs, (used with a plural verb) close-fitting, legless underpants with an elastic waistband.
Roman Catholic Church. a papal letter less formal than a bull, sealed with the pope’s signet ring or stamped with the device borne on this ring.
British Theater. a free ticket; pass.
Obsolete. a letter.
verb (used with object)
to make an abstract or summary of.
to instruct by a brief or briefing: They brief all the agents before assigning them.
Law. to retain as advocate in a suit.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Which sentence is correct?
Idioms about brief
hold a brief for, to support or defend by argument; endorse.
in brief, in a few words; in short: The supervisor outlined in brief the duties of the new assistant.
Origin of brief
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bref, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin brevis “short”; see breve
OTHER WORDS FROM brief
briefer, nounbriefness, nounun·brief, adjectiveun·brief·ly, adverb
un·brief·ness, nounun·briefed, adjective
Words nearby brief
bridle joint, bridle path, bridlewise, bridoon, Brie, brief, briefcase, briefing, briefless, briefly, briefs
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
MORE ABOUT BRIEF
What does brief mean?
Brief is most commonly used as an adjective to mean lasting a short amount of time.
As an adjective, it can also mean concise or said in a few words, as in Keep your introduction brief and get right to the point.
Less commonly, brief can describe an action or interaction as abrupt or too short, often in a rude way, as in Please don’t be so brief with customers.
The adverb form of the adjective brief is briefly, which most commonly means for a short amount of time or concisely.
As a noun, the word brief commonly means a short written item. In a legal context, a brief is a short legal document, such as a written argument submitted to a court or some other short statement of facts for use in a legal case.
Brief can also be used as a verb meaning to provide a short explanation or summary of something to someone, as in Each cabinet member will brief the president on the most important issues. The noun briefing refers to a meeting at which someone is briefed in this way.
Example: The meeting was very brief—it lasted only a few minutes.
Where does brief come from?
The first records of the word brief come from the 1200s. It ultimately comes from the Latin brevis, meaning “short.”
Whether it’s used as an adjective, a noun, or a verb, the word brief always involves things that are short in length or duration. When you tell someone to “keep it brief,” you’re asking them to not take too long—often because there’s not a lot of time. But there’s no set amount of time that makes something brief—it just means appropriately short for the situation. When someone says “I’ll be brief” before speaking, they may have a different idea of what brief means than you do.
Did you know … ?
How is brief used in real life?
Brief is a very common word and one of the briefest ways to say, “lasting a short amount of time.”
Barr asks for a brief recess in the hearing. Five minutes.
— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) July 28, 2020
I got to have a little chat with @mollywood of @Marketplace this morning about our brand new emotional support resource for gaming communities. Be sure to follow @GamesHotline for more info and take a listen to our brief conversation: https://t.co/mXdkviI1AS
— Anita Sarkeesian (@anitasarkeesian) August 3, 2020
Tonight, 2 of 3 candidates were finally given an opportunity to talk abt climate change & clean energy, but it was far too brief. #DemDebate
— Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) January 18, 2016
Try using brief!
Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of brief?
A. short
B. concise
C. succinct
D. lengthy
Words related to brief
abrupt, blunt, concise, pithy, succinct, terse, fleeting, momentary, quick, short-lived, swift, temporary, advise, apprise, explain, inform, instruct, prepare, update, bluff
How to use brief in a sentence
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As they moved down the street, Harris waved, held her hand to her heart, and bumped elbows and had brief conversations with several onlookers.
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Amazon, meanwhile, set their preorders live late Wednesday around midnight ET, only for consoles to sell out within a similarly brief timeframe.
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For over a decade, astronomers have puzzled over the origins of fast radio bursts, brief blasts of radio waves that come mostly from distant galaxies.
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After brief introductions, he told me to follow him, but he went the wrong way.
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I’m most in love with the liner, which feels like a comfy pair of boxer-briefs even when they get wet.
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In his brief appearance today, Scalise never mentioned Duke.
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Before we get to all that, permit me a brief reflection on this matter of Steve Scalise.
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Hawking, of course, came to global fame with his book A Brief History of Time.
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Even when financial facilitators are arrested, incarceration is brief.
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Even the brief time spent chewing exposes foods to enzymes that begin to break it down.
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Vicars’ wives had come and gone, but all had submitted, some after a brief struggle, to old Mrs. Wurzel’s sway.
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As Perker said this, he looked towards the door, with an evident desire to render the leave-taking as brief as possible.
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And I finished all with a brief historical account of affairs and events in England for about a hundred years past.
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The events which succeeded this fortunate capture are too well known to require more than a very brief recapitulation.
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In brief, by the close of the year, the phenomenal conditions growing directly out of the European war had been met and overcome.
British Dictionary definitions for brief
adjective
short in durationa brief holiday
short in length or extent; scantya brief bikini
abrupt in manner; brusquethe professor was brief with me this morning
terse or concise; containing few wordshe made a brief statement
noun
a condensed or short statement or written synopsis; abstract
law a document containing all the facts and points of law of a case by which a solicitor instructs a barrister to represent a client
RC Church a letter issuing from the Roman court written in modern characters, as contrasted with a papal bull; papal brief
a paper outlining the arguments and information on one side of a debate
British slang a lawyer, esp a barrister
hold a brief for to argue for; champion
in brief in short; to sum up
verb (tr)
to prepare or instruct by giving a summary of relevant facts
to make a summary or synopsis of
English law
- to instruct (a barrister) by brief
- to retain (a barrister) as counsel
(intr foll by against) to supply potentially damaging or negative information regarding somone, as to the media, a politician, etcSee also briefs
Derived forms of brief
briefly, adverbbriefness, noun
Word Origin for brief
C14: from Old French bref, from Latin brevis; related to Greek brakhus
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 Idioms and Phrases with brief
see hold no brief for; in brief.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Other forms: briefing; briefs; briefed; briefest; briefer
Something brief is short and to the point. If you make a brief visit, you don’t stay long. If you make a brief statement, you use few words. If you wear brief shorts, you are showing a little too much leg.
As a noun, a brief is a condensed summary or abstract, especially a legal summary of a case. Lawyers submit pretrial briefs to the court outlining the witnesses for the prosecution or defense. As a verb, brief means to give essential information to someone — like the President gets briefed on important matters.
Definitions of brief
-
adjective
of short duration or distance
“a
brief stay in the country”-
Synonyms:
-
short
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
-
short
-
adjective
concise and succinct
“covered the matter in a
brief statement”-
Synonyms:
-
concise
expressing much in few words
-
concise
-
adjective
(of clothing) very short
-
synonyms:
abbreviated
-
short
(primarily spatial sense) having little length or lacking in length
-
short
-
verb
give essential information to someone
“The reporters were
briefed about the President’s plan to invade” -
noun
a condensed written summary or abstract
-
noun
a document stating the facts and points of law of a client’s case
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘brief’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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Recent Examples on the Web
According to an article in the Tennessean, the time frame in releasing the Nichols body cam footage in Memphis was historically brief for that police agency.
—
John Sharp | , al, 7 Apr. 2023
The two adversaries have a brief moment of connection.
—Fawnia Soo Hoo, refinery29.com, 5 Apr. 2023
His booking and arraignment are expected to be brief, and Judge Juan Merchan ruled Monday that TV cameras will not be allowed in the courtroom.
—Sarah Roberts, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Apr. 2023
The hearing is likely to be brief.
—Perry Stein, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Apr. 2023
Fortunately for Florida, the burst of intensity was brief.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2023
The booking and appearance before Judge Juan Merchan should be relatively brief — though hardly routine — as Trump is fingerprinted, learns the charges against him and pleads, as expected, not guilty.
—Michael R. Sisak, Eric Tucker, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2023
The coach’s response was brief.
—Michael Shapiro, Chron, 4 Apr. 2023
This brief moment could easily be called the perp walk of the century.
—Mary Angela Bock, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2023
Connolly’s filing further alleges that Lowenthal improperly deemed a legal brief filed in connection with the case a habeas corpus petition to have the case dismissed entirely.
—Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 31 Mar. 2023
His brief was to create a robust yet elegant steel sports watch that would be accessible and unique.
—Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 27 Mar. 2023
First, there’s Liza showing off her strong legs and arms in the disco-style dress, layered over nude briefs.
—Korin Miller, Women’s Health, 24 Mar. 2023
Chew’s odds of swaying lawmakers already skeptical of his brief were never that great to begin with, but the hearing became a demonstration of bipartisan resolve to counter the national-security threat posed by TikTok.
—The Editors, National Review, 24 Mar. 2023
Dior top, jeans, and briefs.
—Carina Chocano, Harper’s BAZAAR, 23 Mar. 2023
The appeal will continue, with briefs due in May.
—Josh Dawsey, Devlin Barrett, Jacqueline Alemany And Rachel Weiner, The Washington Post, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Mar. 2023
The order came just hours after the court imposed tight deadlines on both sides to file written briefs making their case.
—Eric Tucker, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2023
The order came just hours after the court imposed tight deadlines on both sides to file written briefs making their case.
—Eric Tucker, ajc, 22 Mar. 2023
In a separate show of opposition to Russia’s claims of oppression by Western nations, the U.K. invited Yale University Professor of History Timothy Snyder to brief the council.
—Caitlin Mcfall, Fox News, 15 Mar. 2023
During the Trump Administration, Duckworth had seen Khalilzad as unable or unwilling to brief her on Frerichs’s case.
—Michael Ames, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2023
At a midmorning meeting to brief Barrymore on her first taping earlier that day, the subject of competition arose.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2023
Last fall, Demboski had a meeting with Assembly leaders to brief them on workplace safety compliance problems.
—Emily Goodykoontz, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Mar. 2023
Then a producer called to brief him on how he would be portrayed ahead of the episode’s airing, which is a standard practice for the show.
—Kimi Robinson, The Arizona Republic, 1 Mar. 2023
Gretchen the cheetah escapes enclosure, forces brief closure of Nebraska zoo Discovery or recovery?
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2023
Because details were so scant, White House officials didn’t brief the President, according to two people familiar with the situation, write Kevin Liptak, Kaitlan Collins and Kristen Holmes.
—Angela Dewan, CNN, 14 Apr. 2021
Leaders of the intelligence community are set to brief Congress on March 8 and 9 as part of annual hearings on global threats.
—Julian E. Barnes, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘brief.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
краткий, короткий, недолгий, резюме, сводка, инструкция, резюмировать
прилагательное ↓
- короткий, недолгий
brief experience — небольшой опыт 
brief review — краткий обзор
brief remarks — краткие замечания
- лаконичный, краткий, сжатый (о слоге)
to be brief — короче говоря
- редк. резкий, грубый (о манерах)
- диал. распространённый, обычный (о болезни)
существительное ↓
- краткое изложение; сводка, резюме
in brief — вкратце, в немногих словах
- краткое письменное изложение дела (составленное солиситором для барристера)
- разг. дело, клиент
to take a brief — а) принимать ведение дела в суде; б) выступать в защиту (кого-л.)
to hold a brief — а) вести дело в суде в качестве барристера; б) выступать в защиту (кого-л.)
to have plenty of briefs — иметь большую практику (об адвокате)
- юр. предложение суда ответчику удовлетворить предъявленный ему иск
- папское бреве
- воен. инструкция, даваемая лётчику перед боевым вылетом
to hold no brief (for) — не отстаивать, не защищать; быть не в восторге от, не восхищаться
I hold no /little/ brief for that — я отнюдь не являюсь сторонником этого
глагол
- кратко излагать; резюмировать
- давать инструкции адвокату
- поручать ведение дела
- подробно осведомлять
- устраивать брифинг
- инструктировать (лётчика перед боевым вылетом)
- разг. рассказывать
наречие
- уст. короче говоря
- поэт. вскоре, тотчас
Мои примеры
Словосочетания
a few brief words of caution — всего несколько слов предостережения
a brief stay in the country — недолгое пребывание в стране
some men of power and brief intellect — люди, наделённые властью, но обделённые умом
news brief — сводка новостей
a flower’s brief date — краткий срок, отпущенный цветку
brief downpour — короткий ливень
brief / fleeting encounter — короткая встреча, мимолётное свидание
brief / short interval — небольшой интервал
brief letter — короткое письмо
brief / temporary respite — короткая передышка
brief / thumbnail sketch — краткий очерк
brief, snatchy talk — короткий, отрывистый разговор
Примеры с переводом
The meeting will be brief.
Совещание будет кратким.
We stopped by Alice’s house for a brief visit.
Мы остановились возле дома Алисы, чтобы ненадолго зайти к ней в гости.
You’ll be briefed at Control.
Инструкции получите на командном пункте.
My brief was to train and advise the staff.
Моя задача заключалась в обучении и консультировании персонала.
Greene spent a brief time at Cambridge.
Грин провёл некоторое время в Кембридже.
The Prime Minister asked his officials to brief him on the subject.
Премьер-министр попросил своих подчинённых ввести его в курс дела.
Let’s keep this conversation brief; I have a plane to catch.
Давайте не будем затягивать эту беседу: мне ещё нужно успеть на самолет.
ещё 11 примеров свернуть
Примеры, ожидающие перевода
The ACLU filed a brief (=gave one to the court) opposing the decision. 
Для того чтобы добавить вариант перевода, кликните по иконке ☰, напротив примера.
Возможные однокоренные слова
briefing — брифинг, инструктаж, информационное совещание, инструктивное совещание
briefless — не имеющий практики
briefly — кратко, коротко, вкратце, сжато
briefness — краткость, сжатость
briefs — шорты, короткие подштанники
Формы слова
verb
I/you/we/they: brief
he/she/it: briefs
ing ф. (present participle): briefing
2-я ф. (past tense): briefed
3-я ф. (past participle): briefed
noun
ед. ч.(singular): brief
мн. ч.(plural): briefs
adjective
срав. степ. (comparative): briefer
прев. степ. (superlative): briefest