In brief, you should have accepted the responsibility.
Source: tatoeba (39765)
Brief
/bɹiːf/
Synonyms for "brief" (465 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (93)
abbreviatedabbreviationabbreviatureabregeabridgeabridgedabridgmentabruptabstractaccountaccount renderedaccountingacquaintactaadvertiseadvertise ofadviseadvocateairmanshipannual
Show 35 more words
Adjective(10 words)
abbreviatedbrachinuscivic project updateconcise claimconcise dataconcise expressionconcise solutionconcise summaryconcise writingconcisest
Noun(19 words)
Strong matches (140)
condensationcondensecondensedcondensed versionconferconspectusconsult withcontractedcounselcrispcrustycursorycurtcurtailedcurtalcurtatecutdebriefdecurtatedelineate
Show 66 more words
digestdirectdisclosedockeddraftdraughtdraughtsmandraughtydumbeconomical of wordseducateelection returnsellipticellipticalemployengageenlightenephemeralepigrammaticepitomeevanescentexplainextractfamiliarizefastfill inflashingfleetfleetingflickeringflight planflying lessonsfugitivegive a briefinggive directionsgive noticegive the factsgive wordgnomicgroomgruffguidehastyheadhirehit the high spotshurriedin briefin sumin summaryindisposed to talkinforminstantaneousinstructinstructionkibitzlaconicleave wordlet knowlinelittlelowmeddlementionmention tometeoric
Noun(29 words)
condensecontainer plant gentle wateringcourse summarycourt briefdebriefingdesign briefdisappearingephemeridevidence summaryfleetingflittingfrenulum brevegisthigh concentration descriptorhipshuddlehuddleshuddlingincompleteinform
Show 9 more words
instructinglearning noteslegal brieflegal memorandumless thoroughmemorandummemorandumsmemosmillisecond
Adjective(15 words)
Verb(9 words)
Determiner(1 words)
four days
Related words (232)
Adjective(56 words)
minimalist explanationsoffhandparoxysmalpolitical compactquick appraisalquick energizerquick quizquick samplequick sketchquick summaryscant amountshort compositionshort dittyshort durationshort endurance periodsshort excerptshort explanationshort focus pauseshort lifeshort missive
Show 36 more words
short momentshort movesshort musical pieceshort physics guideshort storyshort story genreshort summaryshort termshort term aimshort term masteryshort thrustshort-form articleshortestshortishsingle pagesketchy descriptionstumpysuccinct wordingsuccinctersuccinctestsummary reviewsuperficialsynopticaltemporary associationtemporary changetemporary evacuation ordertemporary lonelinessterse proseterserthin layerthinner explanationtwo word directivetwo word guidelineundetaileduninformative commentweak explanation
minutesmomentarymummutenotifynutshellopinionoutlineoverviewpandectpassingpilot trainingpilotshippithypointedpostprecispreengageprepareprescribe
Show 90 more words
primeproceedingsproposeprunedquickquietrecommendrecordrecruitreportreservereservedresumeretainreturnsreviewroughrough inrough outrubricrun downrun throughrundownsend wordsententiousserve noticeshortshort and sweetshort-livedshort-termshort-termedshortenshortenedshortened versionsign onsign upsign up forsilentskeletonsketchsketch outsnippysnugsparing of wordsspartanspeakspeechlessspeedystatementsubmitsuccinctsuccinctlysuggestsummarizesummarysurveyswiftsyllabussynopsissynopsizesynopsizedsynoptictaciturntake into employmenttake ontallytelltemporarytersethe recordthumbnail sketchtighttight lippedtight-lippedto the pointtongue tiedtongue-tiedtopical outlinetracetransactionstransienttransitorytruncatedunloquaciousuntalkativeversewashoutword-boundwordlessyearbook
Noun(56 words)
momentarynews briefone page testone-lineroutlinepartialpithypleadingprecispresent technologypresent to committeerecapremitreportsroadmapromanian compactshortshort arc swingshort fictionshort form
Show 36 more words
short form versionshort livedshort pieceshort reportshort sentence textshort stayshort term capacity constraintsshort volunteering termshort-form videoshorthandsketchessketchyskimskim readingskimmingsnapspielsuccinctsummarizesummarizingsummarysummary measuresummary statistic methodsurface level understandingsynopsistell firsthandtell someone abouttemporarytersethe shorter the betterthumbnailtipupdateupdatesusage orientswrite concept notes
Determiner(2 words)
most backgroundone line
Verb(7 words)
Adverb(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: abbreviated, abbreviated, abbreviation, abbreviature, abrege.
- Sentence evidence is available for brief, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "brief".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "brief"
Keep "brief" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "brief" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "brief", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "brief" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
18 entriesShowing 16 of 18 words.
More specific
19 entriesShowing 16 of 19 words.
Collocations
14 entriesbrief descriptionbrief explanationbrief historybrief memobrief momentbrief notebrief pausebrief reportbrief summarybriefing notesbriefing packetbriefing sessioncourt brieflegal brief
Inflections
5 entriesDerivations
7 entriessimilar
2 entriesSample sentences
33 total sentences available.
In brief, if the individual accepts the values of democracy, he must also accept the responsibilities of democracy.
Source: tatoeba (39771)
After a brief peace, war broke out again.
Source: tatoeba (39827)
I couldn't think up such a brief explanation.
Source: tatoeba (41411)
Showing 4 of 33 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "brief"?
Closest matches include abbreviated, abbreviated, abbreviation, abbreviature, abrege.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "brief"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.