brief

1 marked by the use of few words to convey much information or meaning a brief but crucial admonition to keep quiet Synonyms of brief aphoristic, apothegmatic, concise, capsule, compact, compendious, crisp, curt, elliptical (or elliptic), epigrammatic, laconic, monosyllabic, pithy, sententious, succinct, summary, telegraphic, terse, thumbnailWords Related to brief abrupt, blunt, brusque (also brusk), short, snippety, snippy; abbreviated, abridged, condensed, curtailed, shortened; meaty, substantial; meaningful, significant; well-turnedNear Antonyms of brief pleonastic, redundant, repetitious, tautological, tautologous; enlarged, expanded, supplemented; embellished, embroidered, exaggerated, inflatedAntonyms of brief circuitous, circumlocutory, diffuse, long-winded, prolix, rambling, verbose, windy, wordy

2 not lasting for a considerable time fortunately, the meeting was brief Synonyms of brief short, fast, littleWords Related to brief shortish; abbreviated, abridged, curtailed, cut-back, shortened, syncopated; compact, condensed; abrupt, sudden; ephemeral, fleeting, momentary, short-lived, transient, transitory; impermanent; compendious, concise, crisp, epigrammatic, laconic, pithy, succinct, summary, terse; short-range, short-termNear Antonyms of brief endless, everlasting, interminable, persistent, unending; longish, overlong, prolonged, protracted; permanent; enlarged, expanded, supplemented; long-range, long-termAntonyms of brief extended, far, great, lengthy, long, long-drawn-out (or long-drawn), long-lived

3 lasting only for a short time a brief flash of light Synonyms of brief momentary, deciduous, ephemeral, evanescent, flash, fleeting, fugacious, fugitive, impermanent, passing, short-lived, temporary, transient, transitoryWords Related to brief little, short, shortish; acting, interim, provisional, short-termNear Antonyms of brief lifelong; continuing, durable, persistent; imperishable, indefectible, indestructibleAntonyms of brief ceaseless, dateless, deathless, endless, enduring, eternal, everlasting, immortal, lasting, long-lived, permanent, perpetual, timeless, undying, unending

1 a short statement of the main points a one-page brief of the intelligence report Synonyms of brief abstract, breviary, summary, capsule, conspectus, digest, encapsulation, epitome, inventory, outline, précis, recap, recapitulation, résumé (or resume also resumé), roundup, rundown, run-through, sum, summa, summarization, summing-up, sum-up, synopsis, wrap-upWords Related to brief abbreviation, abridgment (or abridgement), compend, compendium, condensation, curtailment, shortening; simplification, streamlining; rehash, reprise; conclusion, epilogue (also epilog)Near Antonyms of brief amplification, enlargement, expansion; addendum, supplement

2 a specific task with which a person or group is charged the soldiers' brief was to secure the village from enemy attacks Synonyms of brief assignment, mission, business, charge, detail, job, operation, postWords Related to brief burden, chore, duty, need, obligation, office, requirement, responsibility; errand, labor, work; commitment, pledge, promise; appointment, commission, designation, nomination; compulsion, constraint, restraint

1 to give information to the lieutenant briefed his superior officers on the state of the enemy's fortifications Synonyms of brief acquaint, advise, apprise, enlighten, catch up, clear, clue (in), familiarize, fill in, hip, inform, instruct, tell, verse, wise (up)Words Related to brief advertise, alert, notify; announce (to), disclose (to); assure, certify, convince, reassure, warrant; educate, lecture, school, teach, tutor; disabuse, disenchant, disillusion, undeceiveNear Antonyms of brief misinform, mislead

2 to make into a short statement of the main points (as of a report) his duties include briefing intelligence reports for the president Synonyms of brief abstract, boil down, summarize, digest, encapsulate, epitomize, outline, recap, recapitulate, reprise, sum up, synopsize, wrap upWords Related to brief abridge, condense, curtail, cut back, shorten; downsize, shrink; concentrate, consolidate; decoct, essentialize; simplify, streamlineNear Antonyms of brief elongate, extend, lengthen, prolong, protract; amplify, elaborate (on or upon), enlarge (on or upon), expand, supplement