ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Brief

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /bɹiːf/ · Part of speech adjective

Quick meaning: Brief is an adjective meaning Of short duration; happening quickly.

Meaning

Of short duration; happening quickly.

More Meanings

  1. Concise; taking few words.
  2. Occupying a small distance, area or spatial extent; short.
  3. (law) A writ summoning one to answer; an official letter or mandate.
  4. (law) An answer to any action.
  5. (law) A memorandum of points of fact or of law for use in conducting a case.
  6. (by extension, figurative) A position of interest or advocacy.
  7. (obsolete) Rife; common; prevalent.

Example Sentences

Her reign was brief but spectacular.
His speech of acceptance was brief but moving.
The briefe ſtyle is that which expreſſeth much in little.
Some, how briefe the Life of man / runs his erring pilgrimage, / That the ſtretching of a ſpan, / buckles in his ſumme of age.

Word Forms

Synonyms for brief

Depending on context, synonyms include concise, short, little, abbreviated.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include abbreviated, concise, short, little, moment, immediate.

Related Dictionary Tools

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.