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

The company said she was briefly allowed to continue teaching under a safety plan before state licensing officials later directed that she be removed from the classroom while the investigation continued. —Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026

Elsewhere in Boy Band Confidential, Fatone reflects on his high school friend Jason Galasso briefly becoming the original fifth member of NSYNC before dropping out. —Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026

Kilroy said he isn't formally trained in music, but he was exposed to the arts from an early age and briefly sang in a chamber choir in college. —ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026

More critically, carrying a balance, even briefly, can wipe out any rewards earned. —Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for briefly

• chiefly