Difference between Panty and Brief

It might be safe to say you've heard the word panty more than the term brief, but is there really a big difference between the type of women's underwear.

Difference between panty and brief is little, its a broad term used to describe female underwear. Panty can be used to refer too cheekies or thongs; briefs is used to describe full coverage underwear only. Panties can mean any type of women's underwear, whereas briefs can be used for men or women.

Panty or briefs can be used to describe women's underwear interchangeably, and so is a broad term to refer to women's underwear only.

Having said that, panties exclusively refers to all types of women underwear, but briefs can mean women's underwear too or men's midi or hipster style underpants.

In referring to underwear as panties, you can guarantee its used for women's delicates.

To say briefs is rarely heard today, in doing so its probably because you heard it or read it off a catalogue or a store online.

With little difference between a panty and a brief, the terms still refer to all kinds of women's underwear styles.

To refer to one's own panty as just that is a polite thing to say; whereas saying actually what kind it is can come across as a little too personal.

For example my thong, my g-string, etc. is not as nice as simply saying panty or brief.

Panties is exclusively used in North America, whereas briefs is a universally accepted worldwide, but still used less.

In Britain its more common to hear the slang word knickers, but briefs can be used if to describe more full coverage, sensible underwear, especially for children .

Broad term used for underwear

No difference between panty and brief as they both basically mean the same thing, as in women's underwear.

Its possible to know we're referring to female underwear because of the term panty. Brief on the otherhand can be used to describe underwear for both female and male.

Panty and brief is a broad term, so instead of accurately referring to bikini, boy short, thongs or cheeky underwear directly - you simply say panties or briefs.

Its therefore a broad word or in the case of panty, a regional slang word for underwear.

Is there really a difference between a panty and a brief in style or design, I would say there is absolutely nothing that separates the two broad terms used to describe women's underwear.

Panty used in North America

However, we can differentiate panty from brief, as panty is a term to describe women's underwear in the US - brief is less so used.

Panty is to refer too a single pair, whereas panties is used to describe more than one pair, so is the plural term.

Panties will be the top category on underwear stores, followed by sub-categories to find the exact type of panty needed:

It could be a thong, g-string, cheeky, hipster, boy short or bikini underwear...

Panty is women's underwear only and while briefs can be used to describe them as female, briefs are not exclusively used to refer to women's underwear only, but also men's.

Brief term used less so

To say brief would be a rare occasion because as far as I'm concerned, its not been a word I've heard someone describe women's or men's underwear.

In fact to hear the term briefs would be more reserved by use in publications or online stores to sell underwear.

But much like the term panties, briefs can be used to refer to all types of women's underwear.

I tell a lie, I've only heard the term brief used to describe women's full coverage panties, and less so thongs, g-strings or cheekies, for example.

Briefs in my opinion, is more a friendly term used to describe children's underwear, where the use of the word panty can sound a little sexual to minors.

Referring full coverage panties

So I therefore believe the only difference between a panty and brief, is panty can be used to refer to every type of women's underwear out there.

Whereas briefs can be only used to describe full coverage underwear only. in the midi, bikini or hipster sense.

That is if you're referring to women's panties as the term is bisexual, so it can be used to refer to men's and women's underwear.

Not that you'll hear someone in real life refer to a panty as a brief, unless they're reading it off a shopping catalogue or browsing online - its also more common to hear more elderly refer to panties as briefs.

Briefs put me in the mind of regular panties, be it in a hipster, midi or bikini style - though all can be described as granny panties.

To summarize

The only real difference between the term panty and brief is in name only, as its a broad term used to describe women's underwear.

I know that it has nothing to do with guys underwear because its has the term panty in the question after all.

But to say panty in the broad sense can mean any type of female underwear, and I do mean any type.

Be it bikini, hipster, boy shorts, cheeky, thong or g-string, they are all a kind of panty.

To say panty to describe any of the above is a polite way of not letting people know the exact type of underwear you wear, that is if you'd be referring to your own.

In the use of the word brief, it can also mean panties but its a broad term to describe all types of women's underwear - and men's come to think of it.

Panty is more widely used today, whereas to say brief is limited to use online or as a category in shopping literature.

I can point out one difference between panty and briefs, is that briefs is a term mostly used to refer too full coverage underwear only.

So brief can mean hipster, midi or bikini underwear, but less so cheeky or thongs.

So in my opinion, that is the only difference, be it panty is more commonly spoken - while briefs is used much less in real life.

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