Brief
/briːf/noun
Short in duration or length; concise.
Did you know?The English word came through Anglo-French from Latin *brevis*, and its relatives spread through law, writing, and speech, where being “brief” meant cutting language down to its sharpest form.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mreǵh-?
“No secure standard root is usually cited for this word in popular summaries; the established history begins with Latin *brevis*.”
Latin
Latin
brevis
“Short, brief, or of short duration.”
Old French
OF
brief
“Short; concise; a written document or letter.”
Middle English
English
brief
“Short in time or form; a short written statement or document.”
Modern English
English
brief
“Short in duration or length; concise.”
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