briefness Definition

brief
adj briefer, briefest

1. Lasting only a short time.

Example: a brief meeting
Thesaurus: transient, passing, ephemeral, fleeting, fast, momentary, short-lived, temporary; Antonym: permanent, prolonged.
2. Short or small.

Example: a brief pair of shorts
3. Said of writing or speech: using few words; concise.

Example: a brief note
Thesaurus: concise, compressed, cursory, terse, pithy, succinct, laconic, capsular, aphoristic; Antonym: verbose.

noun

1a. law.
A summary of the facts and legal points of a case, prepared for the barrister who will be dealing with the case in court;
1b. law.
A case taken by a barrister;
1c. law., colloq
A barrister.
2. Instructions given for a job or task.
3. A woman's or man's close-fitting underpants without legs.

Form: briefs
4. RC Church.
A letter from the Pope, less formal in nature than a papal bull³, written on a matter of discipline.
Form: breve (also)
Form: papal brief

verb briefed, briefing

1. To prepare someone by giving them instructions in advance.

Thesaurus: inform, prime, advise, instruct, explain, guide, prepare.
2a. law.
To inform (a barrister) about a case by brief (noun 1a);
2b. law.
To retain (a barrister) as counsel.

Derivative: briefless
adj

Said of a barrister: holding no brief; without a client.

Derivative: briefly

Using few words.
Example: Let me explain it briefly

For a short time.
Example: visited her briefly at home

Derivative: briefness
noun

Being brief, especially using few words; brevity.

Idiom: hold a brief for someone or something

Said of a barrister: to be retained as counsel for them or it.

To advocate something; to argue for them or it.

Idiom: hold a brief for someone or something (hold no brief for someone or something)

To support or not to support (ie argue in favour of) them or it.

Idiom: in brief

In few words; briefly.

Etymology: 14c as bref: French, from Latin brevis short.