brief

See also Brief

English

Etymology

From Old French bref, from Latin brevis (“short”). Compare French bref.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /bɹiːf/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːf

Adjective

brief (comparative more brief, superlative most brief)

1. Of short duration; happening quickly. [from 15th c.]
2. Concise; taking few words. [from 15th c.]
3. Occupying a small distance, area or spatial extent; short. [from 17th c.]
   • 1983, Robert Drewe, The Bodysurfers, Penguin 2009, p. 17:

     On the beach he always wore a straw hat with a red band and a brief pair of leopard print trunks.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:ephemeral
• See also Wikisaurus:concise

Derived terms

• briefly

Related terms

• brevity

Translations

of short duration

Armenian: կարճ (karč̣) Bulgarian: къс (bg), кратък (bg) Danish: kort (da) Dutch: kort (nl), kortstondig (nl) German: kurz (de) Hungarian: rövid (hu)

Italian: breve (it) Japanese: 短い (みじかい, mijikai) Macedonian: краток (mk) (krátok) m., кус (mk) (kus) m. Polish: krótki m., krótka f., krótkie n. Spanish: breve (es), corto (es)

concise

Armenian: համառոտ (hamaṙot) Bulgarian: сбит (bg) Danish: kortfattet (da) Dutch: kort, bondig, samengevat German: prägnant (de)

Hungarian: tömör (hu) Italian: breve (it) Macedonian: краток (mk) (krátok) m., содржаен (mk) (sod'ržaen) m. Polish: zwięzły m. Spanish: conciso (es), sucinto (es)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

Catalan: breu, concís French: bref

Indonesian: singkat, ringkas Japanese: 簡略 (かんりゃく, kanryaku) Romanian: scurt, concis

Noun

brief (plural briefs)

1. (law) An attorney's legal argument in written form for submission to a court.
2. (informal) A short news story or report.
   • We got a news brief.
3. (obsolete) A summary, précis or epitome; an abridgement or abstract.
   • 1589 Thomas Nashe, The Anatomie of Absurditie 5:

     A survey of their follie, a briefe of their barbarisme.

Derived terms

• briefs
• control brief

Translations

a short news story or report

Bulgarian: резюме (bg) n.

Spanish: resumen (es) m.

References

• Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition, 1989

Verb

brief (third-person singular simple present briefs, present participle briefing, simple past and past participle briefed)

1. (transitive) To knowledgeably summarize a recent development to some person with decision-making power.

   The U.S. president was briefed on the military coup and its implications on African stability.

2. (transitive, law) To write a legal argument and submit it to a court.

Translations

to summarize

Spanish: poner al tanto (es)

Derived terms

• briefing
• brevity

External links

• brief in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• brief in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• brief at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• fiber, fibre

---

Anglo-Norman

Alternative forms

• bref

Etymology

Latin brevis.

Noun

brief m. (oblique plural briés, nominative singular briés, nominative plural brief)

1. letter
   • circa 1170, Wace, Le Roman de Rou:

     A li brief al Conte enveié

     He sent the letter to the Count

---

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch brief which is borrowed from Latin brevis (“short”).

See also English brief and German Brief.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -if

• audio

  (file)

• IPA: /briːf/

Noun

brief m. (plural brieven, diminutive briefje)

1. letter

Derived terms

• kaperbrief

---

Old French

Etymology

Latin brevis, see above

Adjective

brief m. (feminine brieve)

1. brief; short in length

Derived terms

• briement

Noun

brief m. (oblique plural briés, nominative singular briés, nominative plural brief)

1. (short) letter or statement

Descendants

• English: brief
• French: bref