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Brief
Definitions
- 1 Of short duration; happening quickly.
"Her reign was brief but spectacular."
- 2 Concise; taking few words.
"His speech of acceptance was brief but moving."
- 3 Occupying a small distance, area or spatial extent; short.
"Her skirt was extremely brief but doubtless cool."
- 4 Rife; common; prevalent. obsolete
- 1 concise and succinct wordnet
- 2 (of clothing) very short wordnet
- 3 of short duration or distance wordnet
- 1 Briefly. obsolete, poetic
"Whence Adam faultring long, thus anſwer’d brief."
- 2 Soon; quickly. obsolete, poetic
"But that a ioy paſt ioy, calls out on me, / It were a griefe, to briefe to part with thee : / Farewell."
- 1 A writ summoning one to answer; an official letter or mandate.
- 2 a condensed written summary or abstract wordnet
- 3 A writ summoning one to answer; an official letter or mandate.; A short papal letter.
"It was in vain that the bishop published a new papal brief, declaring valid the excommunications which he had issued, and those of the inquisitors to be null, and requiring them to seek absolution from him."
- 4 a document stating the facts and points of law of a client's case wordnet
- 5 An answer to any action.
"A written answer or any other brief shall be submitted to the court while allowing a period necessary for the opponent to make preparations with regard to the matters stated therein."
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 A memorandum of points of fact or of law for use in conducting a case.
- 7 A position of interest or advocacy. broadly, figuratively
"Mrs. Hope was, we believe, a convert to the Roman Catholic Church, and neither she nor her editor conceals the fact that they hold a brief for the Pope and for Catharine against Henry VIII."
- 8 An attorney's legal argument in written form for submission to a court.
- 9 The material relevant to a case, delivered by a solicitor to the barrister who is counsel for the case. English
- 10 A barrister who is counsel for a party in a legal action. English, slang
- 11 A short news story or report.
"We got a news brief."
- 12 Underwear briefs. plural-normally
"I wear boxer shorts under trousers but for sports I usually wear a brief."
- 13 Swimming briefs. plural-normally
- 14 A summary, précis or epitome; an abridgement or abstract. obsolete
"[…] euen ſo it fareth with mee, who béeing about to anatomize Abſurditie, am vrged to take a view of ſundry mens vanitie, a ſuruey of their follie, a briefe of their barbariſme […]"
- 15 A letter patent, from proper authority, authorizing a collection or charitable contribution of money in churches, for any public or private purpose. UK, historical
- 16 A ticket of any type. slang
- 1 To summarize a recent development to some person with decision-making power. transitive
"The U.S. president was briefed on the military coup and its implications on African stability."
- 2 give essential information to someone wordnet
- 3 To write a legal argument and submit it to a court. transitive
Etymology
From Middle English breef, breve, bref, from Old French brief, bref, from Latin brevis (“short”), from Proto-Indo-European *mréǵʰus (“short, brief”). Doublet of breve and merry.
From Middle English breef, breve, bref, from Old French brief, bref, from Latin brevis (“short”), from Proto-Indo-European *mréǵʰus (“short, brief”). Doublet of breve and merry.
From Middle English breef, breve, bref, from Old French brief, bref, from Latin brevis (“short”), from Proto-Indo-European *mréǵʰus (“short, brief”). Doublet of breve and merry.
From Middle English breef, breve, bref, from Old French brief, bref, from Latin brevis (“short”), from Proto-Indo-European *mréǵʰus (“short, brief”). Doublet of breve and merry.
See also for "brief"
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