Definition of gist
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Examples of gist in a Sentence
… Einstein showed how time intervals depend on the motion of people and clocks doing the measuring. And that's the gist of relativity. —Alan Lightman, Science, January/February 1984
Thus, Poulterers' Case gave rise to a doctrine which survives to this day: the gist of conspiracy is the agreement, and so the agreement is punishable even if its purpose was not achieved. —Wayne R. LaFave & Austin W. Scott, Jr., Criminal Law, (1972) 1986
Dorothea told him that she had seen Lydgate, and recited the gist of her conversation with him about the Hospital. —George Eliot, Middlemarch, 1872
didn't catch every word between them, but heard enough to get the gist of the conversation
Recent Examples of gist from the Web
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The gist: Home wins have been given less weight, and wins away from home more.
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The gist: straightforward and casual daywear, cleanness, and slightly edgy.
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The story varies, but the gist of it is that a god and goddess have a baby who dies.
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Here’s the gist (my italics): Consider, for example, the period from 1994 to 2008, when per capita incarceration rose every year.
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The gist: Rs will say that any problems with HC come November 2018 are the aftershock of Obamacare.
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The gist of the matter is that the technology of the internet, the economics of the New Age, and today's mass popular culture have combined to foster a pervasive atmosphere of obscene, uncontrolled vituperation.
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The gist: Rs will say that any problems with HC come November 2018 are the aftershock of Obamacare.
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The gist of the libel claim is that the footage allegedly depicting the members' reaction to the question was actually the footage taken during the 10 seconds when they were instructed to sit quietly.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gist.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
The gist of the conversation was that .... The word gist often appears in such contexts to let us know that what follows will be a statement or summary that in some way encapsulates the main point or overarching theme. The gist of a conversation, argument, story, or what-have-you is what we rely on when the actual words and details are only imperfectly recalled, inessential, or too voluminous to recount in their entirety. Gist was borrowed from the Anglo-French legal phrase "[cest] action gist" ("[this] action lies") in the early 18th century, and was originally used in legal contexts as a term referring to the foundation or grounds for a legal action without which that action would not be legally sustainable.
Origin and Etymology of gist
Anglo-French, it lies, from gisir to lie, ultimately from Latin jacēre — more at adjacent
GIST Defined for Kids
gist
playDefinition of gist for Students
: the main point of a matter He spoke so fast, I only got the gist of the story.
Law Dictionary
gist
playLegal Definition of gist
: the ground or foundation of a legal action without which it would not be sustainable
Origin and Etymology of gist
Anglo-French, in the phrase laccion gist the action lies or is based (on), from gisir to lie (of process), from Old French gesir to lie, ultimately from Latin jacere
Learn More about gist
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See words that rhyme with gist Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for gist Spanish Central: Translation of gist Nglish: Translation of gist for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of gist for Arabic speakers
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