Word forms: comparative briefer, superlative briefest, plural, 3rd person singular presenttense briefs, present participle briefing, past tense, past participle briefed
1. adjective
Something that is brief lasts for only a short time.
She once made a brief appearance on television.
This time their visit is brief.
Synonyms: short, fast, quick, temporary More Synonyms of brief
2. adjective
A brief speech or piece of writing does not contain too many words or details.
In a brief statement, he concentrated entirely on international affairs.
Write a very brief description of a typical problem.
Synonyms: concise, short, limited, to the point More Synonyms of brief
3. adjective [verb-link ADJECTIVE]
If you are brief, you say what you want to say in as few words as possible.
Now please be brief–my time is valuable.
I hope to be brief and to the point.
4. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
You can describe a period of time as brief if you want to emphasize that it is very short.
[emphasis]
For a few brief minutes we forgot the anxiety and anguish.
5. plural noun [oft a pair ofNOUN]
Men's or women's underpants can be referred to as briefs.
A bra and a pair of briefs lay on the floor.
6. verb
If someone briefs you, especially about a piece of work or a serious matter, they give you information that you need before you do it or consider it.
A department spokesperson briefed reporters. [VERB noun]
The Prime Minister has been briefed by her parliamentary aides. [beVERB-ed + by]
Synonyms: inform, prime, prepare, advise More Synonyms of brief
7. countable noun [oft NOUN to-infinitive]
If someone gives you a brief, they officially give you responsibility for dealing with a particular thing.
[mainly British, formal]
She joined the company less than two years ago with a brief to turn the studio around.
8. See also briefer, briefing
9.
See in brief
10.
See in brief
Phrasal verbs:
See brief against
More Synonyms of brief
brief in British English
(briːf)
adjective
1.
short in duration
a brief holiday
2.
short in length or extent; scanty
a brief bikini
3.
abrupt in manner; brusque
the professor was brief with me this morning
4.
terse or concise; containing few words
he made a brief statement
noun
5.
a condensed or short statement or written synopsis; abstract
6. 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
7. Roman Catholic Church
a letter issuing from the Roman court written in modern characters, as contrasted with a papal bull; papal brief
8. short for briefing
9.
a paper outlining the arguments and information on one side of a debate
10. British slang
a lawyer, esp a barrister
11. hold a brief for
12. in brief
verb(transitive)
13.
to prepare or instruct by giving a summary of relevant facts
14.
to make a summary or synopsis of
15. English law
a.
to instruct (a barrister) by brief
b.
to retain (a barrister) as counsel
16. (intransitive; foll byagainst)
to supply potentially damaging or negative information regarding someone, as to the media, a politician, etc
Derived forms
briefly (ˈbriefly)
adverb
briefness (ˈbriefness)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Old French bref, from Latin brevis; related to Greek brakhus
brief in American English
(brif)
adjective
1.
of short duration or extent
2.
short in length
3.
using relatively few words; concise
4.
curt or abrupt
noun
5.
a summary or abstract
6.
a concise statement of the main points of a law case, usually filed by counsel for the information of the court
7. Chiefly British
a set of instructions for the participants in some project, investigation, etc., indicating the scope of their responsibilities
often used figuratively
8. Roman CatholicChurch
a papal letter less formal than a bull
9. [pl.]
a.
closefitting, legless undershorts
b.
women's panties that cover the body from the waist to the leg
verb transitive
10.
to make a summary of
11.
to supply with all the pertinent instructions or information
to brief pilots before a flight
12. British
a.
to furnish with a legal brief
b.
to hire as counsel
SIMILAR WORDS: aˈbridgment
Idioms:
hold a brief for
in brief
SYNONYMY NOTE: brief, short are opposites of long in their application to duration [a brief or short interval], although brief often emphasizes compactness, conciseness, etc. [a brief review] and short often implies incompleteness or curtailment [a short measure, to make short work of it]; short is usually used where linear extent is referred to [a short man]
OPPOSITE: long
Derived forms
briefly (ˈbriefly)
adverb
briefness (ˈbriefness)
noun
Word origin
ME < OFr bref < L brevis < IE base *mreĝhu-, short > merry, Gr brachys
More idioms containing
brief
hold no brief for something
Examples of 'brief' in a sentence
brief
But the road was narrow and the offside wheels were on to the grass verge in the brief moment before he regained full control.
Anthony Masters CASCADES - THE DAY OF THE DEAD (2001)
By the end they'd hammered out a brief for a research paper.
Robert Wilson THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS (2001)
A brief flash of light caught her eye, from somewhere over near the tree.
Garth Nix LIRAEL: DAUGHTER OF THE CLAYR (2001)
The larva had fared well in its brief time in the forest, surrounded by an inexhaustible supply of vegetation.
Gregg Andrew Hurwitz MINUTES TO BURN (2001)
In other languages
brief
British English: brief /briːf/ ADJECTIVE
Something that is brief lasts for only a short time.
She once made a brief appearance on television.
American English: brief
Arabic: وَجيز
Brazilian Portuguese: breve
Chinese: 简短的
Croatian: kratak
Czech: krátký
Danish: kort
Dutch: kort
European Spanish: breve
Finnish: lyhyt
French: bref
German: kurz
Greek: σύντομος
Italian: breve
Japanese: 短い
Korean: 잠시의
Norwegian: kort
Polish: zwięzły
European Portuguese: breve
Romanian: scurt
Russian: недолгий
Latin American Spanish: breve
Swedish: kort
Thai: อย่างสั้น
Turkish: kısa
Ukrainian: короткий
Vietnamese: ngắn gọn
British English: brief NOUN
underwear Men's or women's underpants can be referred to as briefs.
A bra and a pair of briefs lay on the floor.
American English: brief
Brazilian Portuguese: roupa íntima
Chinese: 短内裤
European Spanish: bragas
French: slip
German: Slip
Italian: mutande
Japanese: パンツ
Korean: 팬티
European Portuguese: roupa íntima
Latin American Spanish: bragas
British English: brief VERB
If someone briefs you, especially about a piece of work or a serious matter, they give you information that you need before you do it or consider it.
A Defense Department spokesman briefed reporters.
American English: brief
Brazilian Portuguese: informar
Chinese: 提供信息
European Spanish: informar
French: briefer
German: instruieren
Italian: dare istruzioni a
Japanese: 概要を説明する
Korean: 요약 설명하다
European Portuguese: informar
Latin American Spanish: informar
British English: brief NOUN
instructions If someone gives you a brief, they officially give you responsibility for dealing with a particular thing.
...customs officials with a brief to stop foreign porn coming into the country.
American English: brief
Brazilian Portuguese: tarefa
Chinese: 职责
European Spanish: escrito
French: mission
German: Auftrag
Italian: istruzioni
Japanese: 任務
Korean: 권한
European Portuguese: tarefa
Latin American Spanish: escrito
All related terms of 'brief'
in brief
If you refer to something in brief , you are referring to a shortened version of it with few details .
brief against
If someone, especially a politician, briefs against another person, he or she tries to harm the other person's reputation by saying something unfavourable about them.
brief moment
You can refer to a very short period of time, for example a few seconds, as a moment or moments .
brief of title
→ abstract of title
hold a brief for
to argue for; champion
hold no brief for something
to not support a particular cause, belief , or group of people