synopsis

noun

syn·​op·​sis sə-ˈnäp-səs 

plural synopses sə-ˈnäp-ˌsēz 

1

: a condensed statement or outline (as of a narrative or treatise) : abstract

2

: the abbreviated conjugation of a verb in one person only

Synonyms

• summary

Examples of synopsis in a Sentence

I don't need to know every little plot twist; just give me a synopsis of the movie.

Recent Examples on the Web

As these things go, he’s asked to offer a synopsis to the rest of the team. —Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 12 July 2025

The season two synopsis for The Buccaneers reads: In the first season of The Buccaneers, a group of fun-loving young American girls exploded into the tightly corseted London of the 1870s...setting hearts racing and kicking off an Anglo-American culture clash. —Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025

As Discovery Channel's official synopsis of the season says, there's billions of dollars up for grabs in monster red king crab off Adak Island, which is part of the distant Andreanof Islands in Alaska's Aleutian Islands chain. —Ashley Boucher, EW.com, 9 July 2025

Like other chatbots, Claude handles straightforward research queries with ease, such as providing a synopsis of the Iran and Israel conflict or suggesting ways to augment a central air system that struggles in an intensely hot climate. —PC Magazine, 7 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin, from Greek, literally, comprehensive view, from synopsesthai to be going to see together, from syn- + opsesthai to be going to see — more at optic

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for synopsis

• arabidopsis
• phalaenopsis

Kids Definition

synopsis

noun

syn·​op·​sis sə-ˈnäp-səs 

plural synopses -ˈnäp-ˌsēz 

: a brief statement or outline (as of a story)