brief
brief Lexical Profile
brief Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Of short duration; not lasting for long.
"We stopped at the cafe for a brief conversation before catching our train."
Concise in expression; using few words.
"Please keep your remarks brief so that everyone has a chance to speak."
(of clothing) Scanty or revealing; covering very little of the body.
"The swimmers wore brief athletic gear designed to minimize drag in the water."
• verb
To instruct or inform someone thoroughly in advance, especially to prepare them for a specific task, meeting, or operation.
"The press secretary briefed the reporters on the schedule for the upcoming diplomatic summit."
British To retain and instruct a barrister to represent a client in court.
"The firm decided to brief a leading commercial barrister to handle the complex arbitration."
• noun
A concise summary, abstract, or outline of facts, points, or instructions prepared for reference or presentation.
"The policy analyst prepared a two-page brief outlining the economic impacts of the proposed tax reform."
A written legal document submitted to a court stating the facts and points of law of a client's case, or in British usage, the instructions given by a solicitor to a barrister.
"The appellate attorneys spent weeks drafting their legal brief before submitting it to the Supreme Court."
(usually in the plural, 'briefs') Close-fitting, legless underpants or swimming trunks.
"He packed several pairs of cotton briefs and socks for the weekend trip."
• Rhymes for brief
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English bref, borrowed from Old French brief, which derives from Latin brevis ('short'). Originally entering English as a noun referring to an official papal or royal letter, it soon expanded to its adjectival sense of 'short in duration or expression.'