Nearby Words
adjective
1.
lasting or taking a short time; of short duration: a brief walk; a brief stay in the country.
2.
using few words; concise; succinct: a brief report on weather conditions.
3.
abrupt or curt.
4.
scanty: a brief bathing suit.
noun
5.
a short and concise statement or written item.
6.
7.
Law.
a.
a writ summoning one to answer to any action.
b.
a memorandum of points of fact or of law for use in conducting a case.
c.
a written argument submitted to a court.
d.
(in England) the material relevant to a case, delivered by a solicitor to the barrister who tries the case.
8.
an outline, summary, or synopsis, as of a book.
9.
EXPANDbriefs, (used with a plural verb) close-fitting, legless underpants with an elastic waistband.
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Brief
is always a great word to know.
So is bail. Does it mean:
| property or money given as surety that a person released from custody will return at an appointed time |
| to state or declare under oath or affirmation, usually in court |
verb (used with object)
Idioms14.
to make an abstract or summary of.
15.
to instruct by a brief or briefing: They brief all the agents before assigning them.
16.
Law. to retain as advocate in a suit.
17.
hold a brief for, to support or defend by argument; endorse.
18.
in brief, in a few words; in short: The supervisor outlined in brief the duties of the new assistant.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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|
Link To brief
Example Sentences
- Don't fertilize them ― doing so shortens their already brief lifespan.
- After a brief tour of the city, enjoy lunch in a local restaurant.
- The role of money in politics will be the subject of another brief.
Collins
World English Dictionary
| brief (briːf) | |
| —adj | |
| 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 |
| —n | |
| 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. | RC 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. | slang (Brit) a lawyer, esp a barrister |
| 11. | hold a brief for to argue for; champion |
| 12. | in brief in short; to sum up |
| —vb (foll by against) | |
| 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. | See also briefs to supply potentially damaging or negative information regarding somone, as to the media, a politician, etc |
| [C14: from Old French bref, from Latin brevis; related to Greek brakhus] | |
| 'briefly | |
| —adv | |
| 'briefness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
brief
late 13c., from L. brevis (adj.) "short, low, little, shallow," from PIE *mregh-wi-, from base *mregh-u- "short" (cf. Gk. brakhys "short," O.C.S. bruzeja "shallow places, shoals," Goth. gamaurgjan "to shorten").
EXPANDbrief
from L. breve (gen. brevis), noun derivative of L. adj. brevis (see brief (adj.)) which came to mean "letter, summary" (specifically a letter of the pope, less ample and solemn than a bull), and came to mean "letter of authority," which yielded the modern, legal sense of "summary
of the facts of a case" (1630s). The verb meaning "to give instructions or information to" (1866) was originally "to instruct by a brief" (1862); hence briefing, first attested 1910 but popularized by WWII pre-flight conferences.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia
brief
in law, a document often in the form of a summary or abstract. The term is used primarily in common-law countries, and its exact meaning varies across jurisdictions.
Learn more about brief with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Word Dynamo By Dictionary.com
Idioms & Phrases
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