summary judgment

noun

: judgment that may be granted upon a party's motion when the pleadings, discovery, and any affidavits show that there is no issue of material fact and that the party is entitled to judgment in its favor as a matter of law

Examples of summary judgment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And the dissent said the plaintiffs had not justified their argument for a summary judgment in their favor. —Kevin Breuninger,dan Mangan, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2025

The panel unanimously came to a summary judgment on two separate cases in one opinion. —Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025

With that interpretation, the evidence presented could allow a reasonable jury to rule in the owner’s favor, making summary judgment inappropriate. —Eduardo J. Valdes, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2025

The judge’s opinion on the defendants’ motions for summary judgment clears the way for the cases to go to trial or potentially be settled after years of delay. —Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for summary judgment

• judgement
• misjudgment
• prejudgment

Legal Definition

summary judgment

see judgment sense 1a