briefly
BREEF-lee/ˈbɹiːfli/
- 1For a short time, not for very long.
The sun came out briefly before the clouds returned.
We stopped briefly at a gas station on the way home.
Similarmomentarily, temporarily, fleetingly
Oppositepermanently, indefinitely
Note
- 2In a way that uses only a few words and skips the details.
The teacher briefly explained the rules, covering only the most important points.
He answered briefly, giving only a single word before turning away.
Similarconcisely, succinctly, summarily, tersely
Oppositefully, extensively
Note
- 3Used to start a short version of what you want to say.
Briefly, we won the game but two of our players got hurt.
The plan, briefly, is to sell the house and move closer to family.
Similarbasically, essentially
Note
Practice
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Origin
From Middle English breefly, made from "brief" plus "-ly".