1
as in concise
marked by the use of few words to convey much information or meaning
a brief but crucial admonition to keep quiet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in short
not lasting for a considerable time
fortunately, the meeting was brief
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in flash
lasting only for a short time
a brief flash of light
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in summary
a short statement of the main points
a one-page brief of the intelligence report
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mission
a specific task with which a person or group is charged
the soldiers' brief was to secure the village from enemy attacks
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to inform
to give information to
the lieutenant briefed his superior officers on the state of the enemy's fortifications
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to summarize
to make into a short statement of the main points (as of a report)
his duties include briefing intelligence reports for the president
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of brief
Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
Full instructions are below, but here's a brief recap before you get started:
Step 1.
—Stacey Ballis, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2024
Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2024
Families Against Mandatory Minimums is among the groups that filed briefs in support of Lee.
—Lauren Jessop | The Center Square Contributor, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 18 Oct. 2024
The Hill Staff, The Hill, 30 Oct. 2024
Post editorial page staff members had drafted an endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris that had yet to be published, two sources briefed on the sequence of events told The Post.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for brief 
Adjective
Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
Full instructions are below, but here's a brief recap before you get started:
Step 1.
—Stacey Ballis, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2024
Noun
Johnson shepherded an amicus brief in support of a Texas lawsuit aimed at overturning the 2020 election results in four swing states.
—Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2024
Families Against Mandatory Minimums is among the groups that filed briefs in support of Lee.
—Lauren Jessop | The Center Square Contributor, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 18 Oct. 2024
Verb
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will brief reporters Wednesday afternoon.
—The Hill Staff, The Hill, 30 Oct. 2024
Post editorial page staff members had drafted an endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris that had yet to be published, two sources briefed on the sequence of events told The Post.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for brief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brief
Adjective
-
Preferring fast-moving social media like TikTok, this generation is used to absorbing fast and concise information.Boris Abaev, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
-
And, indeed, the lyrics to the two-tone takedown are precise and concise.Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
The tasteful memorial features a short labyrinth walkway that ends at the sculpture of a miner holding a pick-axe and a harp, one of Ireland’s national symbols.James Dziezynski, Outside Online, 10 Nov. 2024
-
His short fiction has appeared in a variety of national literary magazines and anthologies.Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 10 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
The German figures come a day before the scheduled release of flash inflation data for the euro area, which will be closely watched by investors for guidance on the odds of another interest rate cut from the European Central Bank.Sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2024
-
Residents who live near the intersection where the accident occurred said the flash mobs of street takeovers have become weekly occurrences in their neighborhood.Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2022
Noun
-
Officers were dispatched to Mahomes' house in Belton, Missouri, roughly 28 miles south of Kansas City, shortly after midnight Oct. 6, an incident summary from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office shows.Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
-
In addition, the Politico summary of the the ACP’s 171 College Towns found that in recent elections, 38 have flipped from red to blue since the 2000 presidential election, while only seven have gone the other way, from blue to red.Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
The project was mentioned during Thursday’s meeting of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group, which is dedicated to supporting NASA missions to the Red Planet.Michael Kan, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
-
But with the right gear and know-how a mobile mission during the rut can make for an all-time great deer hunting experience.Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
The hut accommodates vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets–just be sure to inform the staff beforehand.Margaret Jackson, The Denver Post, 13 Nov. 2024
-
Ross’s decision to retire was well-documented but Klineman informed the AVP of her imminent departure from volleyball just five days ago.Aaron Heisen, Orange County Register, 9 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
The results come after Apple this week rolled out the first Apple Intelligence features to the iPhone 16, as well as iPhone 15 Pro models, including new writing tools and the ability to record, transcribe and summarize calls.Clare Duffy, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024
-
To summarize these reflections, digital technologies present significant benefits to surgical teams in the long run, but attention to data protection and storage is key from the outset.George Murgatroyd, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Be warned, though: make some extra room in your suitcase for souvenirs, because this little city has a whole lot to offer.Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
-
Last month, the White House confirmed that North Korea—a country with few allies and little money—had sent thousands of soldiers to join Russia in its war against Ukraine.Sungmin Cho, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
Articles Related to brief
Thesaurus Entries Near brief
Cite this Entry
“Brief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brief. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share