summarize

verb

sum·​ma·​rize ˈsə-mə-ˌrīz How to pronounce summarize (audio)
summarized; summarizing

transitive verb

: to tell in or reduce to a summary

intransitive verb

: to make a summary
summarizable adjective
summarizer noun

Examples of summarize in a Sentence

I would like to take a moment to summarize the facts that I presented earlier. He summarized by saying we needed better planning and implementation. To summarize, we need better schools.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Interconnected Causes Of Managerial Obsolescence To summarize, the principal interconnected reasons why firms and their managers are becoming obsolete are: Wrong mindset: making profits for themselves, not creating value for others. Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025 The narrative might be summarized like this: supernatural Taylor Swift-type kills evil spirits while struggling with her own inner demons. Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2025 The monthly jobs report, the first major economic record released to summarize the month prior, relies on two separate surveys, the Current Employment Statistics program and the Current Population Survey. Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 8 Aug. 2025 Doximity already has a free AI product, Doximity GPT, that doctors can use to generate insurance letters and summarize patient charts and reports. Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for summarize

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of summarize was in 1832

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Cite this Entry

“Summarize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/summarize. Accessed 14 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

summarize

verb
sum·​ma·​rize ˈsəm-ə-ˌrīz How to pronounce summarize (audio)
summarized; summarizing
1
: to tell in or reduce to a summary
2
: to make a summary
summarizable adjective
summarizer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on summarize

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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