brief traffic

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "brief traffic" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a short or minor amount of vehicular movement or congestion in a specific area. Example: "During the morning rush hour, we encountered brief traffic on the highway, but it cleared up quickly."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

"When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose," the driver, Rocco Scuiletti said, invoking the Bob Dylan song "Like a Rolling Stone" in an interview after a brief traffic court hearing here.

The New York Times

Beyond that, Wang et al. put the Named Data Networking (NDN) concept into V2V communications, put forth a strawman proposal for the data name design, and developed a brief traffic information transmission application based on the data naming design [33, 34].

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

In that brief period, traffic to the Esquire.com site, which already allows users of Digg and Reddit to vote on its stories, doubled for the month.

The New York Times - Tech

In brief, after trafficking into the Golgi, WT ACE exited rapidly to reach the plasma membrane from which it was eventually secreted.

Human Molecular Genetics

There will be a brief delay while traffic moves through from the other direction.

The New Yorker

Unsure Hands On Facebook, most goals caused a brief spike in traffic and then a rapid return to previous levels.

The New York Times

But even sites that enjoy a brief rise in traffic due to abuse are damaged in the long run, says Catherine Teitelbaum, chief trust and safety officer for ASKfm.

The Guardian - Tech

We start with a discussion on background and related works in Section 2, followed by a brief analysis on traffic characteristics of voice, video and data applications in Section 3. Section 4 explains the proposed mechanism while Section 5 presents the simulation setup.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

If New Jersey drivers spend an average of 34 hours a year sitting still in traffic (Briefing, March 26), a primary cause is the irrational infatuation of the state's traffic engineers with long intervals between traffic light changes.

The New York Times

In a city where even the great parks are jammed with traffic, this brief period of freedom and tranquillity was nothing short of exhilarating.

The New York Times

By the time Dr. Renik was out of college and had worked for a time driving a taxi in New York — an immersion course in brief counseling while dodging traffic — it was clear what kind of doctor he would be.

The New York Times - Health

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing road conditions, use "brief traffic" to indicate a short period of congestion or light vehicular movement. It's more specific than simply saying "traffic".

Common error

Avoid using "brief traffic" when you mean general traffic conditions. "Brief traffic" specifically refers to a temporary or short-lived instance of traffic, not overall traffic volume.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "brief traffic" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "brief" modifies the noun "traffic". It describes a temporary state of vehicular movement, indicating that the traffic is not long-lasting or severe. Ludwig provides examples where it refers to a short period of congestion.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "brief traffic" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase that refers to a short or minor instance of vehicular movement. According to Ludwig, its primary function is to describe road conditions, indicating a temporary state of traffic. While not extremely common, its usage is appropriate in both news reports and general conversation. Considering its neutral register and the contexts in which it appears, it is best used to differentiate temporary congestion from more sustained traffic problems.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

light traffic

Indicates a low volume of vehicles, focusing on the quantity rather than the duration.

minor congestion

Emphasizes the slight impediment to traffic flow.

temporary traffic delay

Highlights the transient nature of the traffic issue.

fleeting traffic jam

Suggests a very short and quickly resolved traffic congestion.

short-lived traffic backup

Focuses on the quick dissipation of accumulated vehicles.

momentary traffic holdup

Highlights the very short duration of the disruption.

slight traffic slowdown

Emphasizes the reduced speed of traffic rather than a complete stop.

passing traffic congestion

Indicates that the congestion is temporary and will soon resolve.

short period of traffic

Focuses on the limited time frame in which traffic is present.

limited traffic flow

Indicates that the flow of vehicles is restricted for a brief time.

FAQs

How can I use "brief traffic" in a sentence?

You can use "brief traffic" to describe a short period of congestion or light vehicular movement. For example, "We experienced "brief traffic" on the highway due to road work".

What's the difference between "brief traffic" and "heavy traffic"?

"Brief traffic" indicates a short period of congestion, while "heavy traffic" refers to a sustained high volume of vehicles.

What can I say instead of "brief traffic"?

Alternatives include "light traffic", "minor congestion", or "temporary traffic delay", depending on the specific context.

Is "brief traffic" a common phrase in everyday conversation?

"Brief traffic" is not as common as simply "traffic", but it's appropriate when you need to emphasize the short duration or limited impact of the traffic.