debrief

verb

de·​brief (ˌ)dē-ˈbrēf 

debriefed; debriefing; debriefs

transitive verb

1

: to interrogate (someone, such as a pilot) usually upon return (as from a mission) in order to obtain useful information

The hostages were later debriefed by police.

2

: to carefully review upon completion

debrief the flight

intransitive verb

: to be interrogated for useful information following a mission, experience, etc. : to be debriefed

After each mission, … the pilots land, disarm and roll into the fuel pit. They spend another hour debriefing with Intelligence …

—Maria Wilhelm

Examples of debrief in a Sentence

Police debriefed the hostages upon their return.

The pilot was debriefed after his flight.

Recent Examples on the Web

The system has established multidisciplinary Workplace Violence Response Teams in all units—featuring representatives from hospital administration, public safety, human resources and risk management—to debrief violent events and deploy necessary support. —Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024

In our latest cover story, the cast of NBC’s upcoming Suits LA debriefs us about suiting up for their new legal drama set in the same world as the beloved USA series that so many found on Netflix last year. —EW.com, 17 Dec. 2024

In March, after his diagnosis became more definitive, Turner fully debriefed his bride on the situation. —Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 11 Dec. 2024

Once a project is complete, and the team convenes to debrief about what went well and what went wrong, no individual is more important than another. —Dr. Michelle Frasher, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

debrief

verb

de·​brief di-ˈbrēf 

ˈdē-

: to question (as an astronaut) on return from a mission or assignment in order to obtain useful information