different between brief vs instruct

brief

English

Etymology

From Middle English breef, breve, bref, from Old French brief, bref, from Latin brevis (short), from Proto-Indo-European *mré??us (short, brief). Doublet of merry.

Pronunciation

  • enPR: br?f, IPA(key): /b?i?f/
  • Rhymes: -i?f

Adjective

brief (comparative briefer, superlative briefest)

  1. Of short duration; happening quickly. [from 15th c.]
  2. Concise; taking few words. [from 15th c.]
  3. Occupying a small distance, area or spatial extent; short. [from 17th c.]
    • 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.
  4. (obsolete) Rife; common; prevalent.

Synonyms

  • See also Thesaurus:ephemeral
  • See also Thesaurus:concise

Derived terms

  • briefen
  • briefly

Related terms

  • brevity

Translations

Noun

brief (plural briefs)

  1. (law) A writ summoning one to answer; an official letter or mandate.
  2. (law) An answer to any action.
    • 1996, Japanese Rules of Civil Procedure[4], Article 79, Section 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.
  3. (law) A memorandum of points of fact or of law for use in conducting a case.
  4. (by extension, figuratively) A position of interest or advocacy.
  5. (law) An attorney's legal argument in written form for submission to a court.
  6. (English law) The material relevant to a case, delivered by a solicitor to the barrister who tries the case.
  7. A short news story or report.
  8. (usually in the plural) underwear briefs.
  9. (obsolete) A summary, précis or epitome; an abridgement or abstract.
    • 1589, Thomas Nashe, The Anatomie of Absurditie[5]:
      [] euen ?o it fareth with mee, who béeing about to anatomize Ab?urditie, am vrged to take a view of ?undry mens vanitie, a ?uruey of their follie, a briefe of their barbari?me []
  10. (Britain, historical) A letter patent, from proper authority, authorizing a collection or charitable contribution of money in churches, for any public or private purpose.
  11. (slang) A ticket of any type.

Derived terms

  • briefs
  • control brief

Translations

References

  • John A. Simpson and Edward S. C. Weiner, editors (1989) , “brief”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, ?ISBN

Verb

brief (third-person singular simple present briefs, present participle briefing, simple past and past participle briefed)

  1. (transitive) To summarize a recent development to some person with decision-making power.
  2. (transitive, law) To write a legal argument and submit it to a court.

Derived terms

  • debrief

Translations

Adverb

brief (comparative more brief, superlative most brief)

  1. (obsolete, poetic) Briefly.
  2. (obsolete, poetic) Soon; quickly.

Related terms

  • briefing
  • brevity

References

Further reading

  • brief in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
  • brief in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
  • brief at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

  • FBIer, fiber, fibre



Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch brief, from Middle Dutch brief, from Old Dutch [Term?], from Latin brevis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /brif/

Noun

brief (plural briewe)

  1. letter (written message)

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch brief, from Old Dutch [Term?], borrowed from Latin brevis (short).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /brif/
  • Hyphenation: brief
  • Rhymes: -if

Noun

brief m (plural brieven, diminutive briefje n)

  1. letter (written message)

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Afrikaans: brief
  • ? Sranan Tongo: brifi

References


Middle French

Etymology

From Old French brief.

Adjective

brief m (feminine singular briefve, masculine plural briefs, feminine plural briefves)

  1. brief; short

Descendants

  • French: bref

Old French

Alternative forms

  • bref

Etymology

From Latin brevis.

Adjective

brief m (oblique and nominative feminine singular brieve)

  1. brief, short in length

Declension

Derived terms

  • briement

Noun

brief m (oblique plural briés, nominative singular briés, nominative plural brief)

  1. (short) letter or statement

Descendants

  • Middle French: brief
    • French: bref
  • ? Middle English: bref, breef, breve, brefe, breefe
    • English: brief, breve
    • Scots: brief, brieve, breef, briefe

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instruct

English

Etymology

From Latin ?nstr?ctus, perfect passive participle of ?nstru? (I instruct; I arrange, furnish, or provide).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /??n?st??kt/
  • Rhymes: -?kt

Verb

instruct (third-person singular simple present instructs, present participle instructing, simple past and past participle instructed)

  1. (transitive) To teach by giving instructions.
    Synonyms: educate, guide
    • c. 1604, William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure, Act I, Scene 3,[1]
      Supply me with the habit and instruct me
      How I may formally in person bear me
      Like a true friar.
    • 1682, Aphra Behn, The False Count, London: Jacob Tonson, Act III, Scene 2, p. 33,[2]
      What a dishonour’s this, to me, to have so Dull a Father, that needs to be instructed in his Duty.
    • 1751, Samuel Johnson, The Rambler, No. 156, 14 September, 1751, in Volume 5, London: J. Payne and J. Bouquet, 1752, p. 177,[3]
      [] the design of tragedy is to instruct by moving the passions,
    • 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, Chapter 10,[4]
      [] I should deem you a man sore sick, it may be, yet not so sick but that an instructed and watchful physician might well hope to cure you.
    • 1974, Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, New York: William Morrow, Part 4, Chapter 29, p. 353,[5]
      At the Laundromat I instruct Chris on how to operate the drier, start the washing machines []
  2. (transitive) To tell (someone) what they must or should do.
    Synonyms: command, direct, order
    Usage note: "instruct" is less forceful than "order", but weightier than "advise"
    • c. 1591, William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 1, Act III, Scene 1,[6]
      What, shall a child instruct you what to do?
    • 1848, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, Chapter 39,[7]
      All the servants were instructed to address her as “Mum,” or “Madam” []
    • 1989, John Irving, A Prayer for Owen Meany, New York: Ballantine, 1997, Chapter 5, p. 195,[8]
      Observing that the Christ Child’s nose was running, she deftly wiped it; then she held the handkerchief in place, while instructing him to “blow.”

Related terms

Translations

Noun

instruct (plural instructs)

  1. (obsolete) Instruction.

Adjective

instruct (not comparable)

  1. (obsolete) Arranged; furnished; provided.
    • c. 1615, George Chapman (translator), Homer’s Odysses, London: Nathaniell Butter, Book 4, p. 62,[9]
      For he had neither ship, instruct with oares,
      Nor men to fetch him from those stranger shores.
  2. (obsolete) Instructed; taught; enlightened.
    • 1671, John Milton, Paradise Regained, London: John Starkey, Book 1, lines 438-441, p. 24,[10]
      Who ever by consulting at thy shrine
      Return’d the wiser, or the more instruct
      To flye or follow what concern’d him most,
      And run not sooner to his fatal snare?

Anagrams

  • unstrict

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