brief (briːf
)
Definitions
adjective
- short in duration ⇒
a brief holiday
- short in length or extent; scanty ⇒
a brief bikini
- abrupt in manner; brusque ⇒
the professor was brief with me this morning
- terse or concise; containing few words ⇒
he made a brief statement
noun
- a condensed or short statement or written synopsis; abstract
- 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
- Roman Catholic Church a letter issuing from the Roman court written in modern characters, as contrasted with a papal bull; papal brief
- short for briefing
- a paper outlining the arguments and information on one side of a debate
- British slang a lawyer, esp a barrister
- See hold a brief for
- See in brief
verb (tr)
- to prepare or instruct by giving a summary of relevant facts
- to make a summary or synopsis of
- English law
- to instruct (a barrister) by brief
- to retain (a barrister) as counsel
- (intr) against to supply potentially damaging or negative information regarding somone, as to the media, a politician, etc See also briefs
Alternative Forms
ˈbriefly adverb ˈbriefness nounWord Origin
C14: from Old French bref , from Latin brevis ; related to Greek brakhusSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
short,
fast,
quick,
temporary,
fleeting,
swift,
short-lived,
little,
hasty,
momentary,
ephemeral,
quickie,
transitory,
=
concise,
short,
limited,
to the point,
crisp,
compressed,
terse,
curt,
laconic,
succinct,
clipped,
pithy,
thumbnail,
monosyllabic,
=
inform,
prime,
prepare,
advise,
fill in,
instruct,
clue in
gen up,
put in the picture give a rundown keep (someone) posted give the gen
=
summary,
résumé,
outline,
sketch,
abstract,
summing-up,
digest,
epitome,
rundown,
synopsis,
précis,
recapitulation,
abridgment,
Translations
- British English:
brief
Something that is brief lasts for only a short time.She once made a brief appearance on television.briːf ADJECTIVE She once made a brief appearance on television.
- Spanish:
breve
adj
- French:
bref
adj brève
- German:
kurz
adj
- Chinese: 简短的 adj
- Arabic: وَجيز adj
- Portuguese: breve adj
- Russian: недолгий adj недолгая
- Croatian: kratak adj kratka
- Czech: krátký adj
- Danish: kort adj
- Dutch: kort adj
- Finnish: lyhyt adj
- Greek: σύντομος adj σύντομη
- Italian: breve adj
- Japanese: 短い adj
- Korean: 잠시의 adj
- Norwegian: kort adj
- Polish: zwięzły adj zwięzła
- Brazilian Portuguese: breve adj
- European Spanish:
breve
adj
- Swedish: kort adj
- Thai: อย่างสั้น adj
- Turkish: kısa adj
- Vietnamese: ngắn gọn adj
Usage examples
A brief scan of the first page revealed things he hadn't been able to decipher from the distorted remnants he'd recovered from the wreck.
, LOST SUMMER (2002)He says that the brief pulse seen by Cannon's team is "pretty amazing".
New Scientist (2004)A Labour minister, for example, might not take kindly to a Fine Gael "enforcer" poking a nose into the conduct of their brief.
Irish Times (2002)He has a roaming brief , operating around playmaker Phil Webster in central midfield.
Glasgow Herald (2001)His teachings, in brief : * The brain is the organ of the mind.
, THE MEDICAL MYSTERIES E-OMNIBUS (2001)