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

In at least three cases, a federal judge has granted summary judgment in favor of Abbott — ruling for the company before the lawsuits even reached trial. —David Hilzenrath, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026

Lawyers for the city filed what’s called a motion for summary judgment, arguing in effect that the claim was so weak it should not be permitted to move to trial. —Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026

In 2024, a federal court granted summary judgment in favor of Open Cheer & Dance, dismissing the case. —Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 8 Apr. 2026

On April 2, Judge Lewis Liman in New York mostly granted — and in part denied — Baldoni and his codefendants' motion for summary judgment, a bid to avert a trial set to begin May 18. —Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for summary judgment

• judgement
• misjudgment
• prejudgment

Legal Definition

summary judgment

see also:

judgment sense 1a