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What is the difference between short and brief?

short | brief | Synonyms |

Brief is a antonym of short.

Brief is a synonym of short.



In obsolete terms the difference between short and brief

is that short is to shorten while brief is a summary, précis or epitome; an abridgement or abstract.

In transitive terms the difference between short and brief

is that short is to provide with a smaller than agreed or labeled amount while brief is to summarize a recent development to some person with decision-making power.

As a preposition short

is deficient in.

As a proper noun Short

is {{surname}.

short

English

(wikipedia short)

Adjective

(er)
  • Having a small distance from one end or edge to another, either horizontally or vertically.
  • (of a person) Of comparatively little height.
  • Having little duration; opposite of long.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2012, month=March-April
    • , author=Anna Lena Phillips , title=Sneaky Silk Moths , volume=100, issue=2, page=172 , magazine=(American Scientist) citation , passage=Last spring, the periodical cicadas emerged across eastern North America. Their vast numbers and short above-ground life spans inspired awe and irritation in humans—and made for good meals for birds and small mammals.}}
    Our meeting was a short six minutes today. Every day for the past month it's been at least twenty minutes long.
  • Of a word or phrase, constituting an abbreviation (for another) or shortened form (of another).
    • “Phone” is short''' for “telephone” and "asap" '''short for "as soon as possible".
  • (cricket, Of a ball) that bounced relatively far from the batsman.
  • (cricket, Of a fielder or fielding position) that is relatively close to the batsman.
  • Brittle (of pastry, and some metals); see also shortening, shortcrust.
  • Abrupt; brief; pointed; petulant.
    • He gave a short answer to the question.
  • Limited in quantity; inadequate; insufficient; scanty.
    • a short supply of provisions
  • Insufficiently provided; inadequately supplied; scantily furnished; lacking.
    • to be short of money
    The cashier came up short ten dollars on his morning shift.
  • Deficient; less; not coming up to a measure or standard.
    • an account which is short of the truth
  • * Landor
    • Hardly anything short of an invasion could rouse them again to war.
  • (obsolete) Not distant in time; near at hand.
  • * Spenser
    • Marinell was sore offended / That his departure thence should be so short .
  • * Clarendon
    • He commanded those who were appointed to attend him to be ready by a short day.
  • In a financial investment position that is structured to be profitable if the price of the underlying security declines in the future.
    • I'm short General Motors because I think their sales are plunging.

    Usage notes

    * (having a small distance between ends or edges) (term) is often used in the positive vertical dimension and used as is (shallow) in the negative vertical dimension; in the horizontal dimension (narrow) is more commonly used.

    Synonyms

    * (having a small distance between ends or edges) low, narrow, slim, shallow * little, pint-sized, petite, titchy (slang) * (having little duration) brief, concise * an abbreviation of, a short form of

    Antonyms

    * (having a small distance between ends or edges) tall, high, wide, broad, deep, long * tall * (having little duration) long * long

    Adverb

    (-)
  • Abruptly, curtly, briefly.
    • They had to stop short to avoid hitting the dog in the street.
    He cut me short repeatedly in the meeting.
    The boss got a message and cut the meeting short .
  • Unawares.
    • The recent developments at work caught them short .
  • Without achieving a goal or requirement.
    • His speech fell short of what was expected.
  • (cricket, of the manner of bounce of a cricket ball) Relatively far from the batsman and hence bouncing higher than normal; opposite of full.
  • (finance) With a negative ownership position.
    • We went short most finance companies in July.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A short circuit.
  • A short film.
  • * 2012 July 12, Sam Adams, AV Club Ice Age: Continental Drift [http://www.avclub.com/articles/ice-age-continental-drift,82358/]
    • Preceded by a Simpsons short shot in 3-D—perhaps the only thing more superfluous than a fourth Ice Age movie—Ice Age: Continental Drift finds a retinue of vaguely contemporaneous animals coping with life in the post-Pangaea age.
  • (Used to indicate a short-length version of a size)
    • 38 short suits fit me right off the rack.
    Do you have that size in a short .
  • (baseball) A shortstop.
    • Jones smashes a grounder between third and short .
  • (finance) A short seller.
    • The market decline was terrible, but the shorts were buying champagne.
  • (finance) A short sale.
    • He closed out his short at a modest loss after three months.
  • A summary account.
  • * Shakespeare
    • The short and the long is, our play is preferred.
  • (phonetics) A short sound, syllable, or vowel.
  • * H. Sweet
    • If we compare the nearest conventional shorts and longs in English, as in "bit" and "beat", "not" and "naught", we find that the short vowels are generally wide, the long narrow, besides being generally diphthongic as well.
  • (label) An shorter than normal integers; usually two bytes long.

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To cause a in (something).
  • Of an electrical circuit, to .
  • To shortchange.
  • To provide with a smaller than agreed or labeled amount.
    • This is the third time I've caught them shorting us.
  • (business) To sell something, especially securities, that one does not own at the moment for delivery at a later date in hopes of profiting from a decline in the price; to sell short .
  • (obsolete) To shorten.

    • Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • Deficient in.
    • We are short a few men on the second shift.
    He's short common sense.
  • (finance) Having a negative position in.
    • I don't want to be short the market going into the weekend.

    Synonyms

    * (deficient in) lacking, short on

    Derived terms

    * cold short * for short * hot short * in short * short-arse * short back and sides * short of * short-change, shortchange * shorten * short end of the stick * shortie * shortfall * shorthand * short strokes * shorty * the long and short

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * * * English transitive verbs 1000 English basic words ----

    brief

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Of short duration; happening quickly.
  • * (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
    • How brief the life of man.
  • *, chapter=10
    • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=It was a joy to snatch some brief respite, and find himself in the rectory drawing–room. Listening here was as pleasant as talking; just to watch was pleasant. The young priests who lived here wore cassocks and birettas; their faces were fine and mild, yet really strong, like the rector's face; and in their intercourse with him and his wife they seemed to be brothers.}}
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=November 7, author=Matt Bai, title=Winning a Second Term, Obama Will Confront Familiar Headwinds, work=New York Times citation
    • , passage=That brief moment after the election four years ago, when many Americans thought Mr. Obama’s election would presage a new, less fractious political era, now seems very much a thing of the past. }}
  • Concise; taking few words.
  • * (Ben Johnson) (1572-1637)
    • The brief style is that which expresseth much in little.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Ben Travers), title=(A Cuckoo in the Nest)
    • , chapter=1 citation , passage=She was like a Beardsley Salome , he had said. And indeed she had the narrow eyes and the high cheekbone of that creature, and as nearly the sinuosity as is compatible with human symmetry. His wooing had been brief but incisive.}}
  • Occupying a small distance, area or spatial extent; short.
  • * 1983 , Robert Drewe, The Bodysurfers , Penguin 2009, p. 17:
    • On the beach he always wore a straw hat with a red band and a brief pair of leopard print trunks.
  • (obsolete) Rife; common; prevalent.

    • Synonyms

    * See also * See also

    Derived terms

    * briefly

    Related terms

    * brevity

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (legal) A writ summoning one to answer to any action.
  • (legal) An answer to any action.
  • * 1996 The Japanese Rule of Civil Procedure, Article 79 (1):
    • A written answer or any other brief shall be submitted to the court while allowing a period necessary for the opponent to make preparations with regard to the matters stated therein.
  • (legal) A memorandum of points of fact or of law for use in conducting a case.
  • (legal) An attorney's legal argument in written form for submission to a court.
  • (English law) The material relevant to a case, delivered by a solicitor to the barrister who tries the case.
  • (informal) A short news story or report.
  • * We got a news brief .
  • * Shakespeare
    • Bear this sealed brief , / With winged haste, to the lord marshal.
  • (obsolete) A summary, or epitome; an abridgement or abstract.
  • * 1589 Thomas Nashe, The Anatomie of Absurditie 5:
    • A survey of their follie, a briefe of their barbarisme.
  • * Overbury
    • Each woman is a brief of womankind.
  • (UK, historical) A letter patent, from proper authority, authorizing a collection or charitable contribution of money in churches, for any public or private purpose.

    • Derived terms

    * briefs * control brief

    References

    *

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To summarize a recent development to some person with decision-making power.
    • The U.S. president was briefed on the military coup and its implications on African stability.
  • (legal) To write a legal argument and submit it to a court.

    • Derived terms

    * briefing * brevity

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • (obsolete, poetic) Briefly.
  • * Milton
    • Adam, faltering long, thus answered brief .
  • (obsolete, poetic) Soon; quickly.
    • (Shakespeare)

    External links

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    Anagrams

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