a document stating the facts and points of law of a client's case
"The junior associate spent the morning drafting her brief before the oral argument was scheduled for Friday."
a condensed written summary or abstract
"The librarian asked me to write a brief for each book before adding it to the digital catalog."
A writ summoning one to answer; an official letter or mandate.
"The judge dismissed my objection and ordered me to submit a brief outlining why the evidence should be admitted before the next hearing."
In plain English: A brief is a short piece of writing that gives someone specific instructions or information about a task they need to do.
"The entire interview was just a few briefs about his career history."
Usage: In modern English, the word brief is almost exclusively used as an adjective meaning short in duration or length. As a noun referring to a legal document or official mandate, it is rarely encountered outside of formal court settings or specific administrative contexts.
give essential information to someone
"The reporters were briefed about the President's plan to invade"
To summarize a recent development to some person with decision-making power.
"I need to give you a brief on the new market trends so we can decide whether to launch immediately."
In plain English: To briefly something means to make it shorter by cutting out unnecessary parts.
"The witness did not have time to brief the detective before leaving the station."
Usage: Use "to brief" when you are giving someone in a position of authority a concise summary of current events or plans so they can make informed decisions. This action typically involves providing essential facts rather than detailed analysis before a meeting or critical situation.
Of short duration; happening quickly.
"The power outage was so brief that we barely had time to look up from our phones before it returned."
In plain English: Brief means lasting for only a short amount of time.
Usage: Use "brief" as an adjective to describe events or interactions that last only a short amount of time, such as a brief meeting or a brief conversation. Do not confuse this with the noun form referring to a legal document or formal proposal.
Briefly.
"Please briefly summarize the meeting notes before we move on to the next agenda item."
In plain English: To do something briefly means to finish it quickly without taking too much time.
"The doctor gave us brief answers to our questions."
Usage: Use "brief" as an adverb only in informal speech or writing to mean "for a short time," often appearing after the verb it modifies. In standard English, however, you should almost always use "briefly" instead.
The word "brief" comes from the Latin brevis, meaning "short," which entered English via Old French. It shares a common ancient root with words like "merry" and "breve."