brief

brief
1 /bri:f/ adjective
1 TIME continuing for a short time: a brief visit
2 have a brief word to have a short conversation: Could I have a brief word with you, Mr Thomas?
3 be brief to say or write something using only a few words, especially because there is little time
4 SPEECH/LETTER using very few words or including few details: a brief note of thanks
5 in brief
a) in as few words as possible: We should, in brief, invest heavily in digital systems.
b) without any details: a report in brief
6 someone who is brief does not say very much to someone, often in a rude way: She was very brief with me when I asked about the contracts.
7 CLOTHES clothes which are brief are short and cover only a small area of your body: a very brief bikini
2 noun (C)
1 official instructions that explain what someone's job is, what their duties are, how they should behave etc: The architects's brief is to design an extension that is modern but blends with the rest of the building.
2 a short spoken or written statement giving facts about a law case
3 briefs (plural) men's or women's underwear worn on the lower part of the body
3 verb (T) to give someone all the necessary information about a situation, so that they are prepared for it: brief sb on sth: The president has been fully briefed on the current situation in Haiti -compare debrief

Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.

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  • brief — 1 n [Old French bref brief letter, writ indicating legal proceedings, from Late Latin brevis breve short document, summary, from Latin brevis, adjective, short] 1: a concise statement of a client s case written for the instruction of an attorney… …   Law dictionary

  • Brief — (br[=e]f), n. [See {Brief}, a., and cf. {Breve}.] 1. A short concise writing or letter; a statement in few words. [1913 Webster] Bear this sealed brief, With winged hastle, to the lord marshal. Shak. [1913 Webster] And she told me In a sweet,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • brief — adj Brief, short are the most comprehensive adjectives in English meaning not long. Brief refers pri marily to duration; short, to either duration or linear extent {a brief interview} {a short sermon} {a short distance} {short legs} …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • brief — [brēf] adj. [ME < OFr bref < L brevis < IE base * mreĝhu , short > MERRY, Gr brachys] 1. of short duration or extent 2. short in length 3. using relatively few words; concise 4. curt or abrupt n. [ …   English World dictionary

  • Brief — or briefs may refer: * Brief (law), a number of formal document types * Brief (text editor), a popular text editor for the MS DOS operating system * a letter * Brief (architecture), a requirement imposed by a client on an architect * Briefs, a… …   Wikipedia

  • Brief — der; (e)s, e; 1 eine meist relativ lange, persönliche schriftliche Mitteilung in einem Umschlag, die man an jemanden schickt <jemandem / an jemanden einen Brief schreiben; einen Brief diktieren, frankieren, einwerfen, per / als Einschreiben… …   Langenscheidt Großwörterbuch Deutsch als Fremdsprache

  • Brief — (br[=e]f), a. [OE. bref, F. brief, bref, fr. L. brevis; akin to Gr. brachy s short, and perh. to Skr. barh to tear. Cf. {Breve}.] 1. Short in duration. [1913 Webster] How brief the life of man. Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. Concise; terse; succinct.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Brief — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Se conoce como brief a la información que la empresa envía a la agencia de publicidad para que genere una comunicación. Tiene que existir una relación estrecha y de confianza entre la empresa y la agencia de… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Brief — Sm std. (9. Jh.), mhd. brief, ahd. briaf, as. brēf n Entlehnung. Wie afr. brēf n., anord. bréf n. frühe Entlehnung aus l. breve n. kurzes Schreiben (zu l. brevis kurz ). Dabei geht g. ē2 auf gedehntes l. e zurück, f ist der Reflex von bereits… …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • brief — brief; brief·less; brief·ly; brief·ness; de·brief; …   English syllables

  • Brief — Brief: Mit der Buchstabenschrift, die die Germanen durch die Römer kennenlernten – die kulturgeschichtlichen Zusammenhänge sind unter ↑ schreiben aufgezeigt –, strömte eine Fülle von fremden Bezeichnungen aus dem Lat. in unseren Sprachbereich.… …   Das Herkunftswörterbuch

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