briefly

[ breef-lee ]

adverb

1. for a short duration:

   He stopped over briefly in Chicago.

2. in a few words:

   Let me explain briefly.

3. in a brief manner; quickly or brusquely:

   She nodded briefly and began to speak.

Word History and Origins

Origin of briefly¹

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; brief, -ly

Example Sentences

The specter of his most potentially incendiary plans were, after all, why the global markets briefly collapsed following the 2016 election.

From Slate

By some accounts, he wanted a snack, but after briefly going into the store filled with Hispanic shoppers, he returned to his car, posted a vitriolic 2,400-word manifesto to the extremist social media site 8chan and got the gun.

From Salon

Yoakam contacted Steele after watching him perform at a benefit concert in October 2018, when the long-shuttered Palomino Club in North Hollywood briefly reopened to raise money for the Valley Relics Museum.

From Los Angeles Times

Sarabia briefly went down after a run but immediately got back up.

From Los Angeles Times

Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines, which Williams co-wrote, is heard briefly on the soundtrack, without referencing the song's infamous plagiarism trial, which left the musician owing $5m to the estate of Marvin Gaye.

From BBC

Related Words

• momentarily
• quickly
• temporarily