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   brief

   /briːf/

   adjective

   • 1. of short duration; not lasting for long: "he made a brief visit to Paris to attend two concerts" Similar shortflyingfleetinghastyhurriedquickcursoryperfunctorytemporaryshort-livedmomentarypassingtransienttransitoryimpermanentfadingephemeralevanescentfugitiveinformal:quickierare:fugaciousOpposite long
   • ▪ concise in expression; using few words: "introductions were brief and polite" Similar concisesuccinctshortthumbnailto the pointpithyincisiveshort and sweetcrispabridgedcondensedcompressedabbreviatedcompactcompendiouspottedepigrammaticaphoristiclaconicsparingtersepointedcurtclippedmonosyllabicOpposite lengthylong-winded
   • 2. (of a piece of clothing) not covering much of the body; scanty: "a pair of extremely brief black shorts" Similar skimpyscantyrevealingshortlow-cut

   noun

   • 1. a set of instructions given to a person about a job or task: British "his brief is to turn round the county's fortunes" Similar instructionsdirectionsdirectivesbriefinginformationguidelinesguidanceremitmandateinformal:rundownlow-downgen
   • 2. a summary of the facts and legal points in a case given to a barrister to argue in court. British Similar summary of the factscaseargumentcontentiondossier
   • ▪ a piece of work for a barrister: "he cannot be too highly recommended, if he is free and will take the brief"
   • ▪ a solicitor or barrister: informal British "it was only his brief's eloquence that had saved him from prison" Similar lawyerlegal representativesolicitorbarristercounselQueen's CounselQCdefending counseladvocateattorneycounsellor-at-law
   • ▪ a written statement of the facts and legal points supporting one side of a case, for presentation to a court. US
   • 3. a letter from the Pope to a person or community on a matter of discipline.

   verb

   • 1. instruct or inform (someone) thoroughly, especially in preparation for a task: "she briefed him on last week's decisions"
   • 2. instruct (a barrister) by brief. British

   Word Origin Middle English: from Old French brief, from Latin brevis ‘short’. The noun is via late Latin breve ‘note, dispatch’, hence ‘an official letter’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. briefness noun

   Scrabble Points: 10

   • B

     3

   • R

     1

   • I

     1

   • E

     1

   • F

     4

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