gist

noun

\ˈjist

Definition of gist

1 : the ground (see ground entry 1 sense 2a) of a legal action

2 : the main point or part : essence the gist of an argument

Synonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about gist

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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.

Examples of gist in a Sentence

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 … 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 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 on the Web

Ultimately, that’s the gist of every Wachowski movie. — Jaya Saxena, GQ, "Speed Racer Is on Netflix and You Should Watch It Right Now," 19 Apr. 2018 The gist The fashion industry loves its shoe oddities, from toe shoes to uber-pointy sneakers. — Liana Satenstein, Vogue, "@ShoeIcons Is Instagram's Historical Treasure Trove For Footwear Fanatics," 19 July 2018 All anyone wanted was the secret to Villanova’s magic, the gist behind the three-point machine. — Greg Bishop, SI.com, "Villanova's Overpowering Perimeter Performance Against Kansas Puts Wildcats on Brink of Title," 1 Apr. 2018 Here's the gist: Instead of painterly bronzing and blending, strobing seeks to define your features by using light—and light alone. — Lauren Valenti, Marie Claire, "Meet "Strobing," the Anti-Contouring Beauty Trick You Need to Know Now," 18 May 2015 Meanwhile, inside Loganworld, Dolores declares she's read enough books to get humanity's gist, and exits the brain scanner. — Sandra Upson, WIRED, "Westworld Recap, Season 2 Episode 10: What Is Real?," 25 June 2018 Here is the gist, decoded and translated: For almost three decades now, the 41-year-old Bruins defenseman has meticulously catalogued every single one of his offseason workouts. — Alex Prewitt, SI.com, "The Legend of Z: Zdeno Chara Remains Obsessed in His Pursuit of Outsized Excellence," 3 Apr. 2018 As far as the numbers game, here's the gist: SPF 15 blocks about 93 to 95 percent of UVB rays, while an SPF 30 filters about 97 percent. — Lauren Valenti, Marie Claire, "The Rate of Deadly Skin Cancer Has Doubled Over the Last Three Decades," 9 June 2015 Image Basic income is a term that gets thrown around loosely, but the gist is that the government distributes cash universally. — Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, "Free Cash to Fight Income Inequality? California City Is First in U.S. to Try," 30 May 2018

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.