adj.
- of short duration.
- concise; using few words.
- (of clothing) not covering much of the body.
n.
- Brit. a summary of the facts and legal points in a case given to a barrister to argue in court.
▸a piece of work for a barrister.
▸N. Amer. a written statement of the facts and legal points supporting one side of a case, for presentation to a court.
- Brit. informal a solicitor or barrister.
- chiefly Brit. a set of instructions given to a person about a task.
- a letter from the Pope on a matter of discipline.
v.
instruct thoroughly in preparation for a task.
▸Brit. instruct (a barrister) by brief.
Phrase
- hold a brief for
Brit. be retained as counsel for. - hold no brief for
Brit. not support. - in brief
in short.
Derivative
- briefer n.
- briefly adv.
- briefness n.
Etymology
ME: from OFr. brief, from L. brevis ‘short’; the noun is via late L. breve ‘note, dispatch’.
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