Brief

Brief is a term with several related senses in English. As an adjective, it means short in duration or using few words, and it can describe events, explanations, or documents that are concise. A brief meeting, a brief note, or a brief description all illustrate this sense.

As a noun, a brief is a concise summary of a longer document or argument. In law, a brief is a written document submitted to a court that argues a party's position; a case brief is a summary of a court decision used by lawyers and students to study or support legal conclusions. In broader use, a briefing refers to a short set of instructions or information given to someone who needs to act on it, such as a project team or journalist.

As a verb, to brief means to inform or instruct someone by providing essential information, and a briefing is the act or instance of this process.

Etymology and related terms: Brief comes from Old French bref meaning short, from Latin brevis. The core sense of conciseness underpins many uses, including the legal sense, where a brief serves to present arguments efficiently, and the common adjective sense that characterizes anything described as brief or succinct.