Noun | 1. | ![]() Synonyms: legal brief |
2. | brief - a condensed written summary or abstract | |
Verb | 1. | brief - give essential information to someone; "The reporters were briefed about the President's plan to invade" |
Adj. | 1. | brief - of short duration or distance; "a brief stay in the country"; "in a little while"; "it's a little way away" Synonyms: little |
2. | brief - concise and succinct; "covered the matter in a brief statement" | |
3. | brief - (of clothing) very short; "an abbreviated swimsuit"; "a brief bikini" Synonyms: abbreviated |
BRIEF, eccl. law. The name of a kind of papal rescript. Briefs are writings sealed with wax, and differ in this respect from bulls, (q. v.) which are scaled with lead. They are so called, because they usually are short compendious writings. Ayl. Parerg. 132. See Breve.
BRIEF, practice. An abridged statement of a party's case.
2. It should contain : 1st. A statement of the names of the parties,
and of their residence and occupation, the character in which they sue and
are sued, and wherefore they prosecute or resist the action. 2d. An
abridgment of all the pleadings. 3d. A regular, chronological, and
methodical statement of the facts in plain common language. 4th. A summary
of the points or questions in issue, and of the proof which is to support
such issues, mentioning specially the names of the witnesses by which the
facts are to be proved, or if there be written evidence, an abstract of such
evidence. 5th. The personal character of the witnesses should be mentioned;
whether the moral character is good or bad, whether they are naturally timid
or over-zealous, whether firm or wavering. 6th. If known, the evidence of
the opposite party, and such facts as are adapted to oppose, confute, or
repel it. Perspicuity and conciseness are the most desirable qualities of a
brief, but when the facts are material they cannot be too numerous when the
argument is pertinent and weighty, it cannot be too extended.
3. Brief is also used in the sense of breve. (q. v.)