brief definition | Dictionary.com

brief

[breef]

adjective, -er, -est, noun, verb

–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.	an outline, the form of which is determined by set rules, of all the possible arguments and information on one side of a controversy: a debater's brief.

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.	briefs, (used with a plural verb) close-fitting, legless underpants with an elastic waistband.

10.

briefing.

11.	Roman Catholic Church. a papal letter less formal than a bull, sealed with the pope's signet ring or stamped with the device borne on this ring.

12.	British Theater. a free ticket; pass.

13.	Obsolete. a letter.

–verb (used with object)

14.	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.

—Idioms

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.

Origin:
1250–1300; ME bref < AF, OF < L brevis short; see breve

Related forms:

briefer, noun

briefness, noun

Synonyms:
1. short-lived, fleeting, transitory, ephemeral, transient. See short. 2. terse, compact, pithy, condensed. 5. outline, précis, epitome, abstract. See summary. 14. summarize, outline.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To brief

brief (brēf)

adj. brief·er, brief·est

Short in time, duration, length, or extent.
Succinct; concise: a brief account of the incident.
Curt; abrupt.

A short, succinct statement.
A condensation or an abstract of a larger document or series of documents.
Law
1. A formal outline listing main contentions along with supporting evidence and documentation.
2. A document containing all the facts and points of law pertinent to a specific case, filed by an attorney before arguing the case in court.
Roman Catholic Church A papal letter that is not as formal as a bull.
A briefing.
briefs Short, tight-fitting underpants.

tr.v. briefed, brief·ing, briefs

To summarize.
To give instructions or preparatory information to: briefed the astronauts before the mission.

[Middle English bref, from Old French, from Latin brevis. N., Middle English bref, written communication, from Old French, from Medieval Latin breve, from Latin, neuter of brevis, short; see mregh-u- in Indo-European roots.]
brief'er n., brief'ly adv., brief'ness n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Brief

Brief\, a. [OE. bref, F. brief, bref, fr. L. brevis; akin to Gr. ? short, and perh. to Skr. barh to tear. Cf. Breve.]

1. Short in duration.

How brief the life of man. --Shak.

2. Concise; terse; succinct.

The brief style is that which expresseth much in little. --B. Jonson.

3. Rife; common; prevalent. [Prov. Eng.]

In brief. See under Brief, n.

Syn: Short; concise; succinct; summary; compendious; condensed; terse; curt; transitory; short-lived.

Brief

Brief\, adv. 1. Briefly. [Obs. or Poetic]

Adam, faltering long, thus answered brief. --Milton.

2. Soon; quickly. [Obs.] --Shak.

Brief

Brief\ (br[=e]f), n. [See Brief, a., and cf. Breve.]

1. A short concise writing or letter; a statement in few words.

Bear this sealed brief, With winged hastle, to the lord marshal. --Shak.

And she told me In a sweet, verbal brief. --Shak.

2. An epitome.

Each woman is a brief of womankind. --Overbury.

3. (Law) An abridgment or concise statement of a client's case, made out for the instruction of counsel in a trial at law. This word is applied also to a statement of the heads or points of a law argument.

It was not without some reference to it that I perused many a brief. --Sir J. Stephen.

Note: In England, the brief is prepared by the attorney; in the United States, counsel generally make up their own briefs.

4. (Law) A writ; a breve. See Breve, n., 2.

5. (Scots Law) A writ issuing from the chancery, directed to any judge ordinary, commanding and authorizing that judge to call a jury to inquire into the case, and upon their verdict to pronounce sentence.

6. A letter patent, from proper authority, authorizing a collection or charitable contribution of money in churches, for any public or private purpose. [Eng.]

Apostolical brief, a letter of the pope written on fine parchment in modern characters, subscribed by the secretary of briefs, dated "a die Nativitatis," i. e., "from the day of the Nativity," and sealed with the ring of the fisherman. It differs from a bull, in its parchment, written character, date, and seal. See Bull.

Brief of title, an abstract or abridgment of all the deeds and other papers constituting the chain of title to any real estate.

In brief, in a few words; in short; briefly. "Open the matter in brief." --Shak.

Brief

Brief\, v. t. To make an abstract or abridgment of; to shorten; as, to brief pleadings.

Language Translation for : brief

Spanish: breve,

German: kurz,

Japanese: 短時間の

More Translations »

brief (adj.)

1292, from L. brevis (adj.) "short, low, little, shallow," from PIE *bregh- "cut, beat, beat (out)" (cf. Gk. brakhys "short," O.C.S. bruzeja "shallow places, shoals"). Noun derivative breve (gen. brevis) meant "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" (1631). 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. Briefs "short, tight underwear" is from 1934.

Main Entry: brief
Function: noun
Etymology: Old French bref brief letter, writ indicating legal proceedings, from Late Latin brevis breve short document, summary, from Latin brevis, adjective, short
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. The form of the brief is determined by the procedural rules of that court or jurisdiction.

Main Entry: brief
Function: transitive verb
: to write a brief concerning (a motion or question of law)

brief

see hold no brief for; in brief.

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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