brief

brief¹ W2S2 [bri:f] adj

[Date: 1200-1300; : Old French; Origin: Latin brevis]

1.) continuing for a short time

▪ We stopped by Alice's house for a brief visit.

▪ Let's keep this conversation brief; I have a plane to catch.

a brief period/moment/spell etc

▪ Greene spent a brief time at Cambridge.

2.) using very few words or including few details

▪ The President read a brief statement to reporters before boarding his plane.

▪ a brief description of the film

3.) be brief

to say or write something using only a few words, especially because there is little time

▪ I'll be brief; a lot of changes are going to happen.

4.) clothes which are brief are short and cover only a small area of your body

▪ a very brief bikini

brief ²

brief² n

1.) [usually singular]

official instructions that explain what someone's job is, what their duties are etc

▪ The architect's brief is to design an extension that is modern but blends with the rest of the building.

2.) law a short spoken or written statement giving facts about a law case

▪ The ACLU filed a brief (=gave one to the court) opposing the decision.

3.) BrE law a law case that a lawyer will argue in a court

4.) a short report about something

5.) in brief

a) in as few words as possible

▪ We should, in brief, invest heavily in digital systems.

b) without any details

▪ Here again are today's headlines in brief.

6.) briefs [plural]

men's or women's underwear worn on the lower part of the body

brief ³

brief³ v [T]

to give someone all the information about a situation that they will need

brief sb on sth

▪ The president has been fully briefed on the current situation in Haiti.

→↑debrief