brief
(brēf)
[Middle English bref, from Old French, from Latin brevis, N., Middle English bref, written communication, from Old French, from Medieval Latin breve, from Latin neuter of brevis, short.]
adjective: brief·er, brief·est.
- Short in time, duration, length, or extent.
- Succinct; concise: a brief account of the incident.
- Curt; abrupt.
noun
- A short, succinct statement.
- A condensation or an abstract of a larger document or series of documents.
- Law
- A formal outline listing main contentions along with supporting evidence and documentation.
- A document containing all the facts and points of law pertinent to a specific case, filed by an attorney before arguing the case in court.
- Roman Catholic Church A papal letter that is not as formal as a bull.
- A briefing.
- Short, tight-fitting underpants.
transitive verb: briefed, brief·ing, briefs.
- To summarize.
- To give instructions or preparatory information to: briefed the astronauts before the mission.
idioms
- in brief
- In short.
derivatives
- brief́er
- noun
- brief́ly
- adverb
- brief́ness
- noun
