brief

1 of 3

adjective

1
: short in duration, extent, or length
a brief meeting
2
a
: concise
gave a brief description of events
promises to be brief
b
briefness noun

brief

2 of 3

noun

1
a
: an official letter or mandate (see mandate entry 1 sense 1)
especially, Roman Catholicism : a papal letter less formal than a bull
b
: a specific instruction or responsibility
his brief was to strengthen the army
2
a
: a concise article (as in a newspaper)
a news brief
c
law : a concise statement of a client's case made out for the instruction of an attorney usually by a law clerk
3
: an outline of an argument
especially, law : a formal written presentation of an argument that sets forth the main points with supporting precedents and evidence
a legal brief
filed a brief
4
briefs plural [brief entry 1] : short snug pants or underpants
wearing briefs

brief

3 of 3

verb

briefed; briefing; briefs

transitive verb

1
: to make an abstract or abridgment of
brief a report
summarized northeastern Siberian archaeology and has briefed many normally unavailable sourcesWendell Oswalt
2
a
: to give final precise instructions to
were briefed before their mission
b
: to coach thoroughly in advance
c
: to give essential information to
The president is being briefed by his advisors.
3
: to discuss (something, such as a military operation) in a briefing
briefed the mission
briefer noun
Phrases
in brief
: in a few words : briefly
today's news in brief

Examples of brief in a Sentence

Adjective The meeting will be brief. The essay is brief but thorough enough. a few brief words of caution Noun Her brief is to manage the company's sales department. a one-page brief of the intelligence report Verb The captain briefed the crew on the new safety procedures. The President has been briefed by his advisers.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The process is similar to the way ocean breezes can cause brief storms in the summer. TIME, 25 Mar. 2024 Government shutdown: What to know The latest: The Senate approved a $1.2 trillion spending bill in the wee hours of Saturday morning to prevent a brief partial government shutdown, sending the bill to President Biden to sign into law. Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024 Council members call for release of full video Soon after Officer Abdirahman Dahir shot Xiong, the police department released brief body camera footage of the officers’ encounter with Xiong and the shooting. Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2024 But at his most poetic, Jude pauses for a shot of a clock without arms, then a brief dissertation on Angela’s fear of a dangerous 250-kilometer highway where more than 600 Christian crosses mark traffic fatalities — the ultimate, respectful tribute to Weekend and its recently deceased master. Armond White, National Review, 22 Mar. 2024 Body camera footage released by Nashville police earlier this week showed that Strain had a brief conversation with a police officer that night. Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024 As the sun peeks out of the clouds again this weekend, residents in the Valley are expected to get behind the wheel to enjoy the brief period of perfect weather before the summer heat arrives. Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 22 Mar. 2024 Housing officials acknowledge that ending chronic homelessness doesn't mean that no one in their community will ever be homeless, but rather that instances of homelessness should be rare, brief, and nonrecurring. Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 21 Mar. 2024 That means a shutdown could still hit the country – albeit a brief one with minor effects over the weekend. Ken Tran, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
Noun
Whenever the Supreme Court rules on the Rahimi case, YoungBoy and federal prosecutors will have 14 days to file briefs on how the case should proceed. Bill Donahue, Billboard, 13 Mar. 2024 The main concern will be large hail and damaging winds, the brief stated, but the possibility of tornadoes cannot be ruled out. Remington Miller, arkansasonline.com, 12 Mar. 2024 The floor-length champagne gown was embellished with an illusion of mens’ briefs and a structured tank strap, hovering above her body. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024 What happens next None of the cases are yet scheduled for trial, although there is a March 25 deadline in the state legislators' case for filing any amicus briefs. Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 That could involve both sides filing briefs and a panel of judges hearing oral arguments, before the panel rules on the appeal. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Mar. 2024 The state is not a party to the lawsuits that give rise to the constitutional challenge, but the attorney general represents all state entities, including the legislature, and has filed briefs in support of the law. Steve Thompson, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Dozens of briefs have been filed in recent days, including from the Department of Justice, members of Congress, and state attorneys general. Claire Rush, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Mar. 2024 Those meetings led to an AFL-CIO brief calling for more union-community college workforce partnerships. Will Non-Degree Job Pathways Pan out? Shalin Jyotishi, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
The Canadian government has continued to throw its support behind the oil giant, filing amicus briefs on behalf of Enbridge that cite a 1977 treaty that prevents the interruption to the flow of oil between the U.S. and Canada. Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2024 Jameer Answer: The anxiety that comes when briefing senior management is a common concern. Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024 On the way back from Russia, the U.S. team briefed E.U. and NATO partners with a more detailed presentation of the intelligence. TIME, 29 Feb. 2024 Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin could be briefed as early as this week on the military’s plans to get its troubled V-22 Osprey aircraft back in the air, according to a senior defense official familiar with the program and a senior defense official. Laura Strickler, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2024 Hamas was briefed on the Paris talks on Sunday evening. Camila Dechalus, CNN, 25 Feb. 2024 Homendy, who was on Capitol Hill Wednesday to brief the committee on the accident, said the investigation is still in its preliminary stage. Tribune News Service, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 Ahead of the opening, officials went to local restaurants, including Mama’s Pizza Kitchen and Busyboys and Poets, to alert them to an influx of lunchtime customers, and representatives from the D.C. police briefed workers on what to expect. Jenna Portnoy, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 Instead, to accommodate Smith, the Court directed that the case be briefed quickly and then argued the week of April 22, with a decision expected in late June. The Editors, National Review, 1 Mar. 2024

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.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English bref, breve, from Anglo-French bref, brief, from Latin brevis; akin to Old High German murg short, Greek brachys

Noun

Middle English bref, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin brevis, from Late Latin, summary, from Latin brevis brief entry 1

Verb

verbal derivative of brief entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1836, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of brief was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near brief

Cite this Entry

“Brief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brief. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

brief

1 of 3 adjective
: not very long : short
briefly adverb
briefness noun

brief

2 of 3 noun
1
: a brief statement of the case a lawyer will present in court
2
plural : short snug underpants

brief

3 of 3 verb
: to give information or instructions to
Etymology

Adjective

Middle English bref, breve "short, brief," from early French brief, bref (same meaning), from Latin brevis "short" — related to breve

Noun

Middle English bref "formal letter," from early French bref (same meaning), derived from Latin brevis "summary," from earlier brevis (adjective) "short, brief"

Legal Definition

brief

1 of 2 noun
1
: a concise statement of a client's case written for the instruction of an attorney usually by a law clerk

called also memorandum

2
: a formal written presentation of an argument that sets forth the main points with supporting precedents and evidence

Note: Briefs are filed either by a party or an amicus curiae with a court usually regarding a specific motion (as for summary judgment) or point of law.

brief

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to write a brief concerning (a motion or question of law)
Etymology

Noun

Old French bref, brief letter, writ indicating legal proceedings, from Late Latin brevis, breve short document, summary, from Latin brevis, adjective, short

More from Merriam-Webster on brief

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