summary

adjective

sum·ma·ry | \ ˈsə-mə-rē also ˈsəm-rē or -ˌmer-ē

Definition of summary

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : comprehensive especially : covering the main points succinctly

2a : done without delay or formality : quickly executed a summary dismissal

b : of, relating to, or using a summary proceeding a summary trial

summary

noun

sum·ma·ry | \ ˈsə-mə-rē also ˈsəm-rē

plural summaries

Definition of summary (Entry 2 of 2)

: an abstract, abridgment, or compendium especially of a preceding discourse

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Choose the Right Synonym for summary

Adjective

concise, terse, succinct, laconic, summary, pithy, compendious mean very brief in statement or expression. concise suggests the removal of all that is superfluous or elaborative. a concise description terse implies pointed conciseness. a terse reply succinct implies the greatest possible compression. a succinct letter of resignation laconic implies brevity to the point of seeming rude, indifferent, or mysterious. an aloof and laconic stranger summary suggests the statement of main points with no elaboration or explanation. a summary listing of the year's main events pithy adds to succinct or terse the implication of richness of meaning or substance. a comedy sharpened by pithy one-liners compendious applies to what is at once full in scope and brief and concise in treatment. a compendious dictionary

Examples of summary in a Sentence

Adjective

a summary account of the accident obviously a one-volume encyclopedia can offer only a very summary account of the American Civil War

Noun

He concluded the report with a brief summary. They gave a summary of their progress in building the bridge.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

That is summary-talk for birch leaves withering, massive lilac leaf roller attacks, aphid invasions and leaf miners where there are no aphids. — Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, "Our spruce trees are dying. We need to talk about what happens next.," 30 Aug. 2019 On Thursday, Attorney General Dave Yost approved the group’s proposed ballot summary language – a succinct explanation of the proposal provided to voters asked to sign a petition supporting the measure. — Jeremy Pelzer, cleveland.com, "Anti-nuclear bailout group gets go-ahead to collect petition signatures for referendum," 30 Aug. 2019 According to Mix’s legal disciplinary record, the state bar’s Office of the Chief Trial Counsel filed a request for summary disbarment last year as a result of the 2016 conviction. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Ron Mix, San Diego Chargers standout turned lawyer, has been disbarred," 27 Aug. 2019 She was also placed on three years summary probation. — Amir Vera, CNN, "Heather Locklear ordered to treatment program for attacking first responders at her home," 17 Aug. 2019 Gaine, however, asserted that the bylaws effectively grant the finance committee the power to cast the final votes on budget, personnel, and policy matters so long as those actions are reported to the full board in at least summary fashion. — Bob Hohler, BostonGlobe.com, "‘The hard part is, there’s no crystal ball’: MIAA facing its worst financial crunch," 15 June 2019 The group also submitted proposed summary language – a succinct explanation of the proposal provided to voters asked to sign a petition supporting the measure – to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office. — Jeremy Pelzer, cleveland.com, "Ohio nuclear bailout foes take initial steps toward statewide referendum," 29 July 2019 The judge further criticized a summary report written later by Portland police Detective Anthony Merrill, which characterized the cooperating witness’ statements in all her interviews as consistent. — oregonlive.com, "Multnomah County prosecutors violated evidence obligations in murder case, judge rules," 15 July 2019 In 2018, Superior Court Judge Robin Wilson granted the town’s request for summary judgement in the case, essentially throwing out the case. — Daniela Altimari, courant.com, "Appellate Court rejects Sandy Hook parents’ lawsuit against Newtown; families plan appeal to Supreme Court," 12 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Shevorski said in his summary of 18 days of testimony in the last 12 weeks before Clark County District Court Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez. — Ken Ritter, BostonGlobe.com, "Nevada judge asked to let new wave of retail pot shops open," 19 Aug. 2019 Given his misleading summary of the Mueller report, no matter how objective his leadership is in this matter, there will be doubts about the outcome. — Joyce White Vance, Time, "William Barr Is the Wrong Person to Lead the Jeffrey Epstein Investigation," 15 Aug. 2019 During his bail proceedings last month, his asset summary listed more than $559 million of total assets. — Brian Pascus, CBS News, "Jeffrey Epstein worked at financial firm that engaged in massive Ponzi scheme in 1980s and 1990s," 13 Aug. 2019 Final thought: Don't rely on my simple summary here. — Dallas News, "Should you apply for cash or free credit monitoring in the multi-million dollar Equifax settlement?," 8 Aug. 2019 Click through the gallery below or read our TL;DR summary of the best lines for various needs. — Cruisecritic.com, USA TODAY, "Cruise guide for first-timers: The best line for each age group, budget and interest," 30 July 2019 In its executive summary for Operation Spa, state law enforcement officials said using limited liability companies disguised the nature of the business and concealed its proceeds. — USA Today, "Sex trafficking is behind the lucrative illicit massage business. Why police can't stop it.," 30 July 2019 Readers were very taken, for instance, with Blinkist’s paraphrased definition of empathetic listening, from its summary of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. — Lila Maclellan, Quartz at Work, "The most highlighter-worthy ideas from popular business books, according to time-pressed readers," 24 July 2019 The full list of queries the TripIt integration can answer is listed below: What is my flight summary? — Chaim Gartenberg, The Verge, "TripIt gets Google Assistant and Alexa support," 26 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'summary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.