brief 1 of 3

adjective

ˈbrēf How to pronounce brief (audio)
Definition of briefnext
1
as in concise
marked by the use of few words to convey much information or meaning a brief but crucial admonition to keep quiet

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Relevance

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2
as in short
not lasting for a considerable time fortunately, the meeting was brief

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3
as in flash
lasting only for a short time a brief flash of light

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

brief

2 of 3

noun

1
as in summary
a short statement of the main points a one-page brief of the intelligence report

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2
as in mission
a specific task with which a person or group is charged the soldiers' brief was to secure the village from enemy attacks

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brief

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to inform
to give information to the lieutenant briefed his superior officers on the state of the enemy's fortifications

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2
as in to summarize
to make into a short statement of the main points (as of a report) his duties include briefing intelligence reports for the president

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of brief
Adjective
Alter said that relationship ended in 2018 or 2019 and the two had not interacted in the following years besides a brief text exchange. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 In 2020 Harp made a brief speech at the Republican National Convention, telling her story again. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Aug. 2026
Noun
No one filed an official complaint requesting a recount or questioning the election within the time period set by California law, the attorney general’s brief said. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 23 Aug. 2026 After attorneys at the end of this month file additional briefs on their respective arguments, Cogburn is expected to decide what will happen to the final federal charge. — Charlotte Observer, 22 Aug. 2026
Verb
The toddler was pronounced dead after being found unresponsive in a residential pool in Harris County, Texas, on June 28, a person briefed on what happened told The Associated Press. — ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026 The baby’s father, Andres Garcia, survived the boat disaster, a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told CNN. — Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for brief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brief
  1. concise
  2. short
  3. flash
  4. summary
  5. mission
  6. inform
  7. summarize
  8. little
Adjective
  • In a statement, Labrador told the Idaho Statesman that the law clearly states both offices are responsible for writing clear and concise explanations of voter choices on ballot initiatives.
    — Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Longer messages Many providers would suggest clear, concise messages from their patients.
    — Elise Haulund, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of concise
Adjective
  • West Suburban closed in March, after the hospital’s CEO said problems with the billing systems left the hospital short on cash.
    — Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Messages of greater than 100 words were more likely to receive a quick reply than short messages of 4-25 words.
    — Paul Hsieh, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of short
Adjective
  • For example, there is a greater focus on workwear that can address flash-fire hazards while also functioning as everyday task wear.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Parts of Connecticut and New York, including the Albany area, remained under flash-flood warnings on Wednesday morning.
    — Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 29 July 2026
Definition of flash
Noun
  • OpenAI says the summary may not display every detail the system can draw from your past conversations.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The full results of that investigation were never made public, only a summary.
    — Veronica Ortega, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of summary
Noun
  • Over the course of its five-year mission, the Roman telescope will capture images of the Milky Way, survey the entire sky and observe supernova explosions that occurred as far as 8 billion years ago.
    — Josh Feldman, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The Boxer can support amphibious operations and aviation missions from its expansive flight deck.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of mission
Verb
  • This list is informed by The Athletic’s newsroom — including David Ornstein — and their reporting in the last days of the window.
    — The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Any business, town or development group needs this data informing their decisions.
    — Twila Moon, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of inform
Verb
  • To summarize Tua Tagovailoa’s six years with the Miami Dolphins is not simple.
    — Greg Cote August 27, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Fuller’s ideas are hard to summarize, but always seem to reach toward a utopian vision of escaping the drudgery of everyday life.
    — Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of summarize
Adjective
  • Big picture The league and the union are meeting regularly on various topics, but their disagreement on core economics — whether to move to a cap system — leaves little room for progress on the major issues.
    — Evan Drellich, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But that bipartisan effort was immediately panned by conservative groups, and little else has emerged as a serious solution.
    — Ashley Lopez, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of little

Phrases Containing brief

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bridling
brief
briefcase
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Cite this Entry

“Brief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brief. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on brief

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about brief

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