What does briefly mean?
"Briefly" is an adverb meaning for a short time or in few words. It derives from the adjective "brief," which traces back through Old French to the Latin "brevis," meaning short. When describing duration, "briefly" signals that an action lasted only a moment: she paused briefly before speaking, or the two leaders met briefly at the summit. When describing speech or writing, it indicates conciseness — to put it briefly is to summarize without unnecessary detail. The word carries no strong connotation of either formality or informality, making it equally at home in business emails, academic prose, and casual conversation. It pairs naturally with verbs of communication and brief physical action, as in "mention briefly," "speak briefly," or "pause briefly." A useful and economical word, "briefly" lets speakers acknowledge that time or attention is limited while still conveying that the essential point has been made. Its relatives include "brevity," "abbreviation," and the phrase "in brief."
adverbFor a short time; in few words.
- For a short time; momentarily.
- In a concise manner; using few words.
"She paused briefly before answering the question."
"He held the door open only briefly before letting it close."
"The report summarizes the findings briefly, in just two paragraphs."
From the Latin brevis — the same root that gives us 'brevity is the soul of wit.' To speak 'briefly' is to be witty by default.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of briefly
"Briefly" comes from "brief," which entered Middle English from Old French "brieft" or "brief," ultimately from the Latin "brevis," meaning short or low. The adverbial suffix "-ly" was added in English to form the modern word. Cognates sharing this Latin root include "brevity," "abbreviate," and "breviary."
Related word forms
How briefly is actually used
Neutral register; suitable for both formal and informal contexts. The temporal sense ('for a short time') is generally more common than the conciseness sense.
Easily confused with briefly
'Briefly' means for a short time or in few words, while 'briskly' means in an energetic or quick manner.