briefly

adverb

brief·​ly ˈbrē-flē 

1

a

: in a brief way

briefly mentioned

b

: in brief

the food, briefly, was awful

2

: for a short time

briefly married

Synonyms of briefly

• concisely
• shortly

Examples of briefly in a Sentence

Several important issues are only briefly mentioned.

Please briefly describe your experience.

We briefly considered canceling the trip.

Recent Examples on the Web

Swinging his hips, moaning into the mic and briefly getting promiscuous with a mic stand was the authenticity that the majority-millennial crowd expected. — Sophie Lindberg july 11, Kansas City Star, 12 July 2026

On Friday police briefly arrested, then released a 26-year-old from custody. — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 11 July 2026

Sometimes the footage is blurred, as if Zidane is briefly underwater; other times it’s crisply focused. — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 11 July 2026

But now, one veteran who was very briefly part of the Cubs equation, has cut ties with the team and found a new opportunity with one of its biggest division rivals. — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for briefly

• chiefly