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briefcase

American  
[breef-keys] / ˈbrifˌkeɪs /

noun

  1. a flat, rectangular case with a handle, often of leather, for carrying books, papers, etc.

briefcase British  
/ ˈbriːfˌkeɪs /

noun

  1. a flat portable case, often of leather, for carrying papers, books, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of briefcase

1925–30; brief (noun) + case 2

Compare meaning

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He said he always had an entrepreneurial flair, selling bubblegum and popcorn from his Samsonite briefcase at Jamaica High School.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

An armored vehicle moved it—or rather moved Ridge, who was handcuffed to a metal briefcase holding the formula—from one bank vault to another in 2018.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026

He carried a script he was writing in a slim briefcase, which he’d shuttle back and forth from the brand-new Starbucks down the street.

From Salon • Nov. 23, 2025

Seemingly new to the job, POTUS, presented as a level-headed leader, has been barely briefed on the workings of the nuclear football and asks the aide carrying the briefcase to run down the responses.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2025

He set his briefcase down, came over to the table where Sam was sitting, and peered into the bowl.

From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.