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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for Great Wolf Lodge provided brief details about the lengthy stay. — Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 Democrats have held the North Side and north suburban seat since 1949, and except for a brief stretch, only two people have represented it in that time. — Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
Noun
The statement-making shoes accompanied an edgy lingerie look featuring a lacy bralette and briefs with corset-like lacing. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026 That role corresponds to public service broadcasters which do have a brief to ensure educative children’s entertainment. — John Hopewell, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Verb
The shooter used a pump-action shotgun in yesterday's shooting, two law enforcement officials briefed on the case told NBC News. — Irene Byon, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026 The gunman was a 16-year-old, two law enforcement sources briefed on the investigation told CBS News. — John Lauritsen, CBS News, 16 Oct. 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
  • This excellent volume contains a series of concise and authoritative essays on key aspects of the Ghetto’s early history, written by leading experts in the field.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Gemini needed 11 seconds to respond despite delivering a more concise, straight-to-the-point answer.
    — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of concise
Adjective
  • Its filler entries are also quite chewy and enjoyable — a lot of short clues for long answers, especially running down.
    — Caitlin Lovinger, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Seminoles capitalize, take lead The Seminoles lead after an Ashton Daniels 28-yard TD to Quintrevion Wisner, capitalizing on the short field following Miami’s turnover on downs.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of short
Adjective
  • San Antonio, Texas, was under a flash-flood warning through Thursday evening, and the city urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel.
    — Fabiola Sanchez, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • On Monday, the flash-flood threat is lower, but locally heavy downpours are possible for parts of the Mid-Atlantic later in the day.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of flash
Noun
  • Charms on a bracelet sold through TikTok Shop, also advertised as sterling silver, contained about 33% cadmium, roughly 3,300 times the limit, according to trade publication JCK’s summary of the report.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Pew Research Center found that users clicked a traditional result on 8% of visits when an AI summary appeared, compared with 15% without one.
    — Mark van Berkel, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of summary
Noun
  • Jang Kwang-pil, executive vice president and head of the Future Technology Research Institute at HD KSOE, said the exercise confirmed the vessel’s ability to handle complex missions after leaving port.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The country's Hayabusa mission brought home pieces of the asteroid Itokawa in 2010, for example, and Hayabusa2 did the same with material from the space rock Ryugu a decade later.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of mission
Verb
  • The report stated the test was not aimed at any country or specific target, and that relevant governments were informed ahead of time.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The mass sampling and real-time information gathering on prediction markets can extend their utility to informing business decisions, according to Zitzewitz.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of inform
Verb
  • For accountants, attorneys, consultants and other professionals, AI can accelerate research, summarize complex information and assist with writing and other forms of communication.
    — Kaitlin Newkirk, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
  • But a new wave of executives are letting AI do the reading for them, using it to summarize reports, draft emails, and, in some cases, speak on their behalf.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of summarize
Adjective
  • Depending on the machine and settings, that material ends up in a purge tower built alongside the print, or in a collection of little plastic doll's-house-looking spaghetti balls, affectionately known as printer poop.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
  • That gives One Roof a significant advantage over competing Seattle bidders and little incentive to offer anything close to $10 billion.
    — Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 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 22 Oct. 2026.

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