briefly

adverb

brief·​ly ˈbrē-flē How to pronounce briefly (audio)
1
a
: in a brief way
briefly mentioned
b
: in brief
the food, briefly, was awful
2
: for a short time
briefly married

Examples of briefly in a Sentence

Several important issues are only briefly mentioned. Please briefly describe your experience. We briefly considered canceling the trip.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Wong, 42, and Hader, 46, have been together since 2023 after briefly dating in 2022, according to People and Entertainment Tonight. Kim Willis, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025 Trump, who met briefly with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, also said the Eagles were a fantastic team. Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 10 Feb. 2025 The group briefly put 90% of their island up for sale in 2024, asking for $14.2 million, before changing their minds. Gabrielle Calise Tampa Bay Times (tns), arkansasonline.com, 8 Feb. 2025 Only those in the path of totality could briefly remove them to see the sun's corona with their naked eyes. Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 8 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for briefly 

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of briefly was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near briefly

Cite this Entry

“Briefly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/briefly. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

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