summary

1 of 2

adjective

sum·​ma·​ry ˈsə-mə-rē How to pronounce summary (audio)
 also  ˈsəm-rē,
 or  -ˌmer-ē
1
: comprehensive
especially : covering the main points succinctly
2
a
: done without delay or formality : quickly executed
a summary dismissal
b
: of, relating to, or using a summary proceeding
a summary trial
summarily adverb

summary

2 of 2

noun

sum·​ma·​ry ˈsə-mə-rē How to pronounce summary (audio)
 also  ˈsəm-rē
plural summaries
: an abstract, abridgment, or compendium especially of a preceding discourse
Choose the Right Synonym for summary

concise, terse, succinct, laconic, summary, pithy, compendious mean very brief in statement or expression.

concise suggests the removal of all that is superfluous or elaborative.

a concise description

terse implies pointed conciseness.

a terse reply

succinct implies the greatest possible compression.

a succinct letter of resignation

laconic implies brevity to the point of seeming rude, indifferent, or mysterious.

an aloof and laconic stranger

summary suggests the statement of main points with no elaboration or explanation.

a summary listing of the year's main events

pithy adds to succinct or terse the implication of richness of meaning or substance.

a comedy sharpened by pithy one-liners

compendious applies to what is at once full in scope and brief and concise in treatment.

a compendious dictionary

Examples of summary in a Sentence

Adjective a summary account of the accident obviously a one-volume encyclopedia can offer only a very summary account of the American Civil War Noun He concluded the report with a brief summary. They gave a summary of their progress in building the bridge.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
In McCarthy’s Central Valley congressional district, the most Republican in the Golden State, many residents fumed about the summary political execution of California’s first Republican speaker of the House. Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2023 By the occupying Nazis' decree, any assistance to Jews was punished with summary execution. Monika Scislowska, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023 April 3 — Ukraine discovers Russian atrocities in Bucha Russia's hasty retreat from Kyiv's suburbs revealed evidence of summary executions, beheadings, torture, rape, and other atrocities. Peter Weber, The Week, 25 Aug. 2023 Within Ukraine, those consequences would have been awful—show trials, summary executions, and all the mayhem visited upon the areas that Russia did manage to occupy. Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2023 The website Transfermarkt provides summary valuation of league squads, and currently values MLS players at $1.3 billion, compared with $11.3 billion for the English Premier League, $5.1 billion for La Liga, $4.9 billion for Serie A and $4.6 billion for the Bundesliga. Stefan Szymanski, Fortune, 7 June 2023 In expressing a summary view of the application process, Sarah Markhovsky, director of admissions at Greenhill School, says the most important thing for parents to know is that most private schools generally engage in a holistic view of every application. Dallas News, 2 Oct. 2020 The campaign's summary notes how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's director, Robert Redfield, contacted his counterpart in China and offered to send U.S. experts to aid its investigation on Jan. 3. Katherine Doyle, Washington Examiner, 23 Apr. 2020 Local health departments also can access summary disease reports. Rachel Dissell, cleveland, 6 Apr. 2020
Noun
Here’s a blend of advice, direct quotes, and summaries from finance professionals on navigating this path effectively. Bryce Welker, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 And apart from during the coronavirus pandemic when the court was closed, the justices almost always read summaries of their opinions in the courtroom. Mark Sherman, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024 Nearly 70 at the time of his trial, Galileo lived his last nine years under comfortable house arrest, while writing a summary of his early experiments. Maeghan Dolph, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2024 Peterson failed to provide both the prosecution and defense with report detailing a summary of results, the Placer County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release. Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 2 Mar. 2024 The three-page unclassified summary of the review released to the public did not expand on what was already known about the timeline of Austin's hospitalization. Eleanor Watson, CBS News, 29 Feb. 2024 Here is a summary of the factors included in each index: Emotional & Physical Well-Being index (50%) ― life satisfaction index, depression and suicide rates, adequate sleep rate, drug-use statistics, life expectancy and more. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2024 According to a summary of the briefing posted on X, Al-Ansari said there has not been significant pressure from the international community to force Israel to allow unconditional entry of aid into Gaza. NBC News, 28 Feb. 2024 According to the 2022 summary of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau's National Survey of Children's Health, more than 14 million children had special healthcare needs. Jennifer "jay" Palumbo, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'summary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Medieval Latin summarius, from Latin summa sum

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1509, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of summary was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near summary

Cite this Entry

“Summary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/summary. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

summary

1 of 2 adjective
sum·​ma·​ry ˈsəm-ə-rē How to pronounce summary (audio)
1
: expressing or covering the main points briefly : concise
a summary account
2
: done without delay or formality : quickly carried out
a summary dismissal
summarily
(ˌ)sə-ˈmer-ə-lē
adverb

summary

2 of 2 noun
plural summaries
: a short statement of the main points (as in a book or report)

Legal Definition

summary

adjective
sum·​ma·​ry ˈsə-mə-rē How to pronounce summary (audio)
: done immediately, concisely, and without usual formal procedures
especially : used in or done by summary proceeding compare plenary
summarily adverb

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