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

During totality, the temperature could briefly fall by 18 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) before rising rapidly again once the sun reappears. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026

It’s been nearly a month since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s UK visit, during which the couple and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, briefly met with King Charles and Queen Camilla. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 15 Aug. 2026

Kiser’s husband, Brady Kiser, said he had been briefly distracted while watching Trigg while his wife was away. — Shayna Jacobs, NBC news, 15 Aug. 2026

In March, a cyberattack briefly paralyzed municipal systems and prompted an emergency declaration in Foster City, a Bay Area suburb of 32,000 people. — Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for briefly

• chiefly