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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
An incident that for others might be fatal—a free fall from a high bridge—affects the coyote for only a brief moment. — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 The entertainment legend died last week at 80 after a brief cancer battle. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 31 Aug. 2026
Noun
Noble Audio says battery life was a key part of the Artemis design brief, and the Artemis can play for up to 50 hours with ANC turned off and up to 35 hours with ANC enabled. — Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 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
Verb
The purpose of Ratcliffe’s trip to the Russian capital was first reported Wednesday by the Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources briefed on the trip. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026 On other topics, the shareholders at the Cotillion seemed better briefed than the presenters. — Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 25 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
  • Saturday's flash-flood event occurred after four rounds of rain swept across parts of the Grand Canyon over a span of about six hours, according to the National Weather Service.
    — Trevor Ault, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Missing hiker tip line The National Park Service is asking the public to provide information about 15 missing people after a significant flash-flood event in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of flash
Noun
  • The memo provides a summary of the agreement between Google and Entergy, as well as summaries of testimony provided by Entergy officials in support of the contract.
    — Sydney Sasser, Arkansas Online, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The letter from Blumenthal and an accompanying summary of the whistleblower’s statements says the Postal Service began work on the portal on June 15 and stopped on June 25 after Talwani’s initial order.
    — Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of summary
Noun
  • Shore leave spending boosts the local economy, and mission duties often include community outreach in and around the city, about 60 miles southeast of Bangkok.
    — Grant Peck, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Sustainability is at the core of Mertz’s restaurant’s mission.
    — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 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 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on brief

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about brief

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