BRIEFLY
briefly
(adverb) for a short time; “she visited him briefly”; “was briefly associated with IBM”
concisely, briefly, shortly, in brief, in short
(adverb) in a concise manner; in a few words; “the history is summed up concisely in this book”; “she replied briefly”; “briefly, we have a problem”; “to put it shortly”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adverb
briefly (comparative more briefly, superlative most briefly)
(manner) In a brief manner, summarily.
(duration) For a brief period.
To be brief, in short.
Synonyms
• (for a brief period): fleetingly, temporarily, transiently; see also temporarily
Source: Wiktionary
Brief"ly, adv.
Definition: Concisely; in few words.
BRIEF
Brief, a. Etym: [OE. bref, F. brief, bref, fr. L. brevis; akin to Gr.
barh to tear. Cf. Breve.]
1. Short in duration.
How brief the life of man. Shak.
2. Concise; terse; succinct.
The brief style is that which expresseth much in little. B. Jonson.
3. Rife; common; prevalent. [Prov. Eng.] In brief. See under Brief,
n.
Syn.
– Short; concise; succinct; summary; compendious; condensed; terse;
curt; transistory; short-lived.
Brief, adv.
1. Briefly. [Obs. or Poetic]
Adam, faltering long, thus answered brief. Milton.
2. Soon; quickly. [Obs.] Shak.
Brief, n. Etym: [See Brief, a., and cf. Breve.]
1. A short concise writing or letter; a statement in few words.
Bear this sealed brief, With winged hastle, to the lord marshal.
Shak.
And she told me In a sweet, verbal brief. Shak.
2. An epitome.
Each woman is a brief of womankind. Overbury.
3. (Law)
Definition: An abridgment or concise statement of a client's case, made out
for the instruction of counsel in a trial at law. This word is
applied also to a statement of the heads or points of a law argument.
It was not without some reference to it that I perused many a brief.
Sir J. Stephen.
Note: In England, the brief is prepared by the attorney; in the
United States, counsel generally make up their own briefs.
4. (Law)
Definition: A writ; a breve. See Breve, n., 2.
5. (Scots Law)
Definition: A writ issuing from the chancery, directed to any judge
ordinary, commanding and authorizing that judge to call a jury to
inquire into the case, and upon their verdict to pronounce sentence.
6. A letter patent, from proper authority, authorizing a collection
or charitable contribution of money in churches, for any public or
private purpose. [Eng.] Apostolical brief, a letter of the pope
written on fine parchment in modern characters, subscribed by the
secretary of briefs, dated "a die Nativitatis," i. e., "from the day
of the Nativity," and sealed with the ring of the fisherman. It
differs from a bull, in its parchment, written character, date, and
seal. See Bull.
– Brief of title, an abstract or abridgment of all the deeds and
other papers constituting the chain of title to any real estate.
– In brief, in a few words; in short; briefly. "Open the matter in
brief." Shak.
Brief, v. t.
Definition: To make an abstract or abridgment of; to shorten; as, to brief
pleadings.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition