different between brief vs superficial

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

English

Etymology

From Latin superfici?lis.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?sup??f???l/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?s(j)u?p??f???l/
• Rhymes: -???l
• Hyphenation: su?per?fi?cial

Adjective

superficial (comparative more superficial, superlative most superficial)

1. Of or pertaining to the surface.
2. Being near the surface.
3. Shallow, lacking substance.
4. At face value.
5. (rare) Two-dimensional; drawn on a flat surface.

Synonyms

• (of or pertaining to the surface): surficial

Antonyms

• in-depth
• thorough
• (lacking substance): substantive

Derived terms

• superficially
• superficiality

Translations

Noun

superficial (plural superficials)

1. (chiefly in plural) A surface detail.

   He always concentrates on the superficials and fails to see the real issue.

Related terms

• superfice (archaic)

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin superfici?lis.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /su.p??.fi.si?al/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /su.p?r.fi.si?al/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /su.pe?.fi.si?al/

Adjective

superficial (masculine and feminine plural superficials)

1. superficial

Derived terms

• superficialitat
• superficialment

Related terms

• superfície

Further reading

• “superficial” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “superficial” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “superficial” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “superficial” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Galician

Etymology

From Latin superfici?lis.

Pronunciation

Adjective

superficial m or f (plural superficiais)

1. superficial
2. surficial; of the surface

Derived terms

• superficialidade
• superficialmente

Related terms

• superficie

Further reading

• “superficial” in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega, Royal Galician Academy.

Interlingua

Adjective

superficial (not comparable)

1. superficial (pertaining to the surface)

Related terms

• superficie

Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin superfici?lis.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /?su.pe?.fi.si.?aw/

Adjective

superficial m or f (plural superficiais, comparable)

1. Shallow, lacking substance.

Derived terms

• superficialidade
• superficialismo
• superficialmente

Related terms

• superfície

Further reading

• “superficial” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

Romanian

Etymology

From French superficiel

Adjective

superficial m or n (feminine singular superficial?, masculine plural superficiali, feminine and neuter plural superficiale)

1. shallow (about people)

Declension

Related terms

• superficialitate

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin superfici?lis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /supe?fi??jal/, [su.pe?.fi??jal]
• IPA^(key): (Latin America) /supe?fi?sjal/, [su.pe?.fi?sjal]

Adjective

superficial (plural superficiales)

1. superficial
2. shallow, lacking substance

Derived terms

Related terms

• superficie

Further reading

• “superficial” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.