summon

verb

sum·mon | \ ˈsə-mən

summoned; summoning\ ˈsə-mə-niŋ

, ˈsəm-niŋ \

Definition of summon

transitive verb

1 : to issue a call to convene : convoke

2 : to command by service of a summons to appear in court

3 : to call upon for specified action

4 : to bid to come : send for summon a physician

5 : to call forth : evoke —often used with up

Other Words from summon Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about summon

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Other Words from summon

summonable \ ˈsə-mə-nə-bəl

\ adjective

summoner \ ˈsə-mə-nər

, ˈsəm-nər \ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for summon

summon, call, cite, convoke, convene, muster mean to demand the presence of. summon implies the exercise of authority. was summoned to answer charges call may be used less formally for summon. called the legislature into special session cite implies a summoning to court usually to answer a charge. cited for drunken driving convoke implies a summons to assemble for deliberative or legislative purposes. convoked a Vatican council convene is somewhat less formal than convoke. convened the students muster suggests a calling up of a number of things that form a group in order that they may be exhibited, displayed, or utilized as a whole. mustered the troops

Examples of summon in a Sentence

The queen summoned him back to the palace. without explanation, the managing editor summoned me to his office

Recent Examples on the Web

Cars with this feature can automatically navigate through a parking lot, find an available parking space and then come back to you when summoned. — Allen Kim, CNN, "Elon Musk says Tesla owners will soon be able to stream Netflix and YouTube," 29 July 2019 When Cedric Mullins was summoned to Baltimore last August to play center field, shifting Jones to right field, he was seen as the center fielder of the future. — Jon Meoli, baltimoresun.com, "Orioles reset: Re-evaluating the Orioles’ decision not to bring back Adam Jones," 22 July 2019 Causwell was taken to St. Vincent’s East, where extra police were summoned for crowd control. — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al.com, "21-year-old suspect charged in triple shooting that killed 1, injured 2," 19 July 2019 Trudeau’s meeting later that afternoon with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was abruptly cancelled when McConnell was summoned to the White House for a briefing on Iran. — Jonathan Lemire, Fortune, "'How Many People Will Be Killed?': Why Trump Decided Against Striking Iran," 22 June 2019 In Dunbar's case, a Mandalay Bay housekeeping employee noticed the guns and summoned supervisors before federal agents arrived and seized three pistols, a bolt-action rifle and the two assault-style weapons. — Ken Ritter, Fox News, "Lawyers: 2014 arrest at Vegas hotel precursor to killings," 6 July 2018 When Kanye West summoned a bevy of celebrities, music stars and media to Jackson Hole, Wyoming on the eve of the release of his album Ye, guests didn’t know what to expect. — Nerisha Penrose, Billboard, "Here's What Went Down at Kanye West's #ProjectWyoming Brooklyn Pop-Up Shop," 8 June 2018 A month later, when summoned for questioning by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Morrison confessed and became an informant for the agency, an arrangement the Air Force said yielded legally admissible evidence against 10 other airmen. — NBC News, "Security troops on U.S. nuclear missile base took LSD, records show," 24 May 2018 On Monday, South Korea summoned Japan’s ambassador to express concerns about the possibility that treated radioactive groundwater stored at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant might someday be released into the ocean. — Washington Post, "Radioactive sushi: Japan-South Korea spat extends to Olympic cuisine," 23 Aug. 2019

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

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Last Updated

9 Sep 2019

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Time Traveler for summon

The first known use of summon was in the 13th century

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More Definitions for summon

summon

verb

English Language Learners Definition of summon

formal

: to order (someone) to come to a place

: to order (someone) to appear in a court of law

: to ask for (someone or something) to come : to send or call for (someone or something)

See the full definition for summon in the English Language Learners Dictionary

summon

verb

sum·mon | \ ˈsə-mən

summoned; summoning

Kids Definition of summon

1 : to call or send for : convene The clerk … summoned a bellboy and handed him a key. “Take this gentleman to his room!”— E. B. White, The Trumpet of the Swan

2 : to order to appear before a court of law

3 : to call into being : arouse She tried to summon up courage.