brief

Universal Words adjective, noun, verb adjective (briefer, briefest) 1 lasting only a short time; short: a brief visit / meeting / conversation * a brief pause / silence * Mozart's life was brief. 2 using few words: a brief description / summary / account * Please be brief (= say what you want to say quickly). 3 (of clothes) short and not covering much of the body: a brief skirt seealsoBREVITY, BRIEFLY IDIOMS in brief in a few words, without details: In brief, the meeting was a disaster. * Now the rest of the news in brief. noun-see also BRIEFS 1 (BrE) the instructions that a person is given explaining what their job is and what their duties are: It wasn't part of his brief to speak to the press. * I was given the brief of reorganizing the department. * to stick to your brief (= to only do what you are asked to do) * to prepare / produce a brief for sb 2 (BrE, law) a legal case that is given to a lawyer to argue in court; a piece of work for a BARRISTER: Will you accept this brief? 3 (AmE, law) a written summary of the facts that support one side of a legal case, that will be presented to a court 4 (BrE, informal) a SOLICITOR or a defence lawyer: I want to see my brief. IDIOMS hold no brief for sb/sth (BrE, formal) to not support or be in favour of sb/sth: I hold no brief for either side in this war. verb 1 ~ sb (on / about sth) to give sb information about sth so that they are prepared to deal with it: [VN] The officer briefed her on what to expect. * I expect to be kept fully briefed at all times. [also VNtoinf] compareDEBRIEF 2 [VN, VNtoinf] (BrE, law) to give a lawyer, especially a BARRISTER, the main facts of a legal case so that it can be argued in a court of law