brief
Pronunciation
[change]Adjective
[change]
Positive |
- If something is brief, it is for a short time.
- Today there will be brief periods of rain.
- Today's meeting should be very brief.
- The ceremony included a brief speech by the president.
- She arrived when she was 13 months old and, except for one brief period, she never left.
- During the brief interview I was asked why I wanted to work for UPS.
- If a piece of clothing such as shorts or a skirt is brief, it is short.
- One of them was naked, the other wore only a pair of brief shorts.
Synonyms
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[change]Noun
[change]![](http://178.128.105.246/host-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Briefs.jpg/220px-Briefs.jpg)
- (countable) A brief is a short piece of writing or a short talk.
- They've been asked to file briefs, stating why they think the case should not be heard.
- My father was at work, reading through a pile of legal briefs.
- (countable) (plural) Briefs are short underpants.
- Could you tell whether he was wearing briefs or boxers under his trousers?
- You use in brief to show that you will speak or write in a short way.
- In brief, the results suggest that coffee is not harmful in small amounts.
Synonyms
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[change]Verb
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Plain form |
Third-person singular |
Past tense |
Past participle |
Present participle |
- (transitive) If you brief someone, you tell them the most important information about something.
- Army General David Petraeus briefed the president on the progress of the plan.