Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - briefly

1. Something that happens or is done briefly happens or is done for a very short period of time. He smiled briefly... Guerillas captured and briefly held an important provincial capital. ADV: ADV with v 2. If you say or write something briefly, you use very few words or give very few details. There are four basic alternatives; they are described briefly below. ADV: ADV with v 3. You can say briefly to indicate that you are about to say something in as few words as possible. Briefly, no less than nine of our agents have passed information to us. ADV: ADV with cl