Definition of 'brief'
Word forms: comparative briefer
, superlative briefest
, plural, 3rd person singular present tense briefs
, present participle briefing
, past tense, past participle briefed
6. verb
If someone briefs you, especially about a piece of work or a serious matter, they give you information that you need before you do it or consider it.
7. countable noun [oft NOUN to-infinitive]
If someone gives you a brief, they officially give you responsibility for dealing with a particular thing.
[mainly British, formal]
9.
See in brief
10.
See in brief
Phrasal verbs:
See brief against
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
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Word Frequency
brief in British English
adjective
noun
6. law
7. Roman Catholic Church
a letter issuing from the Roman court written in modern characters, as contrasted with a papal bull; papal brief
8. short for briefing
12. See in brief
verb (transitive)
14.
to make a summary or synopsis of
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
briefly (ˈbriefly) adverb
briefness (ˈbriefness)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Old French bref, from Latin brevis; related to Greek brakhusWord Frequency
brief in American English
adjective
1.
of short duration or extent
2.
short in length
3.
using relatively few words; concise
4.
curt or abrupt
noun
5.
a summary or abstract
6.
7. Chiefly British
a set of instructions for the participants in some project, investigation, etc., indicating the scope of their responsibilities
often used figuratively verb transitive
10.
to make a summary of
SIMILAR WORDS: aˈbridgment
Idioms:
SYNONYMY NOTE: brief, short are opposites of long in their application to duration [a brief or short interval], although brief often emphasizes compactness, conciseness, etc. [a brief review] and short often implies incompleteness or curtailment [a short measure, to make short work of it]; short is usually used where linear extent is referred to [a short man] OPPOSITE: long
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
briefly (ˈbriefly)
adverb
briefness (ˈbriefness)
noun
Word Frequency
brief in American English
(brif) (adjective -er, -est)
adjective
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
7. Law
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)
8.
an outline, summary, or synopsis, as of a book
9. See briefs
10.
11. Roman Catholic Church
13. obsolete
a letter
14. See hold a brief for
15. See in brief
transitive verb
SYNONYMS 1. short-lived, fleeting, transitory, ephemeral, transient. See short. 2. terse, compact, pithy, condensed. 5. outline, précis, epitome, abstract. See summary. 16. summarize, outline.16.
to make an abstract or summary of
17.
to instruct by a brief or briefing
They brief all the agents before assigning them
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
briefer noun
briefness
noun
Examples of 'brief' in a sentence
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brief
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In other languages
brief
British English: brief
/briːf/ ADJECTIVE
Something that is brief lasts for only a short time.
She once made a brief appearance on television.
- American English: brief /ˈbrif/
- Arabic: وَجيز
- Brazilian Portuguese: breve
- Chinese: 简短的
- Croatian: kratak
- Czech: krátký
- Danish: kort
- Dutch: kort
- European Spanish: breve
- Finnish: lyhyt
- French: bref
- German: kurz
- Greek: σύντομος
- Italian: breve
- Japanese: 短い
- Korean: 잠시의
- Norwegian: kort
- Polish: zwięzły
- European Portuguese: breve
- Romanian: scurt
- Russian: недолгий
- Latin American Spanish: breve
- Swedish: kort
- Thai: สั้น, สั้นๆ
- Turkish: kısa
- Ukrainian: короткий
- Vietnamese: ngắn gọn
British English: brief
VERB /briːf/
If someone briefs you, especially about a piece of work or a serious matter, they give you information that you need before you do it or consider it.
A Defense Department spokesperson briefed reporters.
British English: brief
NOUN /briːf/
instructions If someone gives you a brief, they officially give you responsibility for dealing with a particular thing.
...customs officials with a brief to stop live animals coming into the country.
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brief
Source
Definition of brief from the Collins English Dictionary
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