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 The New York Times got its hands on a slide presentation summarizing the FAA’s six-week review of Boeing’s production of the 737 Max. Alan Murray, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2024 Copilot for Security includes a pinboard section for collaboration between cybersecurity employees, and the ability to summarize events for reporting purposes. Tom Warren, The Verge, 13 Mar. 2024 But a screening team would have had to approve Ms. Pearlman’s participation in the conference, and the academy published an abstract summarizing her findings, as is routine, Jeri Ropero-Miller, a scientist and member of the academy, said. Tracey Tully, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 Tips for Active Learning and Retention Engage with the Material: Use active study techniques such as summarizing readings in your own words, creating mind maps, or developing flashcards. Bryce Welker, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024 Education assignment at Marquette Course: Child and Adolescent Development and Learning Assignment: Find five sources for a research paper on an education topic of your choice, cite the sources in APA formatting and summarize each source in four to six sentences. Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 The report summarizes disagreements between Marshall Islands officials and the US Department of Energy regarding the risks posed by US nuclear waste. Anita Hofschneider, WIRED, 2 Mar. 2024 Copilot for OneDrive will take on the role of a research assistant of sorts, being able to both find, summarize, and extract information from a wide range of files. Amrita Khalid, The Verge, 1 Mar. 2024 This is true for writing programs, summarizing documents, creating lessons, drawing cat pictures, and so on. Jaron Lanier, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of summarize was in 1832

Dictionary Entries Near summarize

Cite this Entry

“Summarize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/summarize. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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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