summarize

verb

sum·​ma·​rize ˈsə-mə-ˌrīz 

summarized; summarizing

transitive verb

: to tell in or reduce to a summary

intransitive verb

: to make a summary

summarizable

ˌsə-mə-ˈrī-zə-bəl 

adjective

summarizer noun

Synonyms

• outline
• digest

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 motive can be summarized as pure agency, pure evil; in other words, premeditated murder. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 4 July 2025

This week's Think Texas column summarizes her work. —Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025

The ubiquity of that level of hit-making is summarized in Sheeran's TIME feature. —Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

The second response is to make deals with AI companies, allowing their products to summarize articles or train on editorial content. —Alex Reisner, The Atlantic, 25 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for summarize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• agonize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize

Kids Definition

summarize

verb

sum·​ma·​rize ˈsəm-ə-ˌrīz 

summarized; summarizing

1

: to tell in or reduce to a summary

2

: to make a summary

summarizable

ˌsəm-ə-ˈrī-zə-bəl 

adjective

summarizer noun