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summary

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adjective

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective summary contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of summary are compendious, concise, laconic, pithy, succinct, and terse. While all these words mean "very brief in statement or expression," summary suggests the statement of main points with no elaboration or explanation.

a summary listing of the year's main events

When would compendious be a good substitute for summary?

The words compendious and summary are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, compendious applies to what is at once full in scope and brief and concise in treatment.

a compendious dictionary

When is concise a more appropriate choice than summary?

In some situations, the words concise and summary are roughly equivalent. However, concise suggests the removal of all that is superfluous or elaborative.

a concise description

When is it sensible to use laconic instead of summary?

While in some cases nearly identical to summary, laconic implies brevity to the point of seeming rude, indifferent, or mysterious.

an aloof and laconic stranger

How does the word pithy relate to other synonyms for summary?

Pithy adds to succinct or terse the implication of richness of meaning or substance.

a comedy sharpened by pithy one-liners

When might succinct be a better fit than summary?

The meanings of succinct and summary largely overlap; however, succinct implies the greatest possible compression.

a succinct letter of resignation

When can terse be used instead of summary?

The words terse and summary can be used in similar contexts, but terse implies pointed conciseness.

a terse reply

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of summary
Noun
The mechanisms that enable governance—the testing methods, risk summaries, and conditions under which systems are allowed or delayed—deserve daylight. MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025 As well as showing Ryland Grace pre- (no beard) and post- (lots of beard) spaceflight, this first teaser provides a thorough summary of the movie's premise for anyone yet to read Weir's novel. Richard Edwards, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Human Rights Watch said M23’s efforts to consolidate control of Goma have involved possible war crimes, including the summary execution of civilians in February. Michela Wrong, NBC news, 6 June 2025 Unlike traditional employee income, business income does not always come with summary tax forms like the W2 at the end of the year. Vlad Rusz, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for summary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for summary
Noun
  • After prepping your lips for the product (see above), experts recommend tracing the outline of your lips with a lip liner.
    Grace McCarty, Glamour, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Generally, if an area within a national park normally closes down outside of regular business hours when a shutdown is not in effect, that area will stay closed for the duration of the shutdown, the DOI plan outlines.
    Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The initiative focuses on publishing concise, high-quality species descriptions to shorten the gap between discovery and formal recognition drastically.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The other cuts in as needed — concise, disarming, right on cue.
    Alma Rota, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • As part of his curatorial brief, Havens oversees the Bibliotheca Fictiva Collection of Literary and Historical Forgery, available via JSTOR.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
  • In a research brief Wednesday, Stephens analysts said the company beat the estimate after better-than-expected results in the intermodal and dedicated contract services segments.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The painting is a mini summa of two key tendencies running through Shahn’s work: self-quotation and cheekiness.
    Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 24 June 2025
  • Rabelais points out that there are oddities in the world that cannot fit into any classification scheme, more things in our heaven and earth than are dreamt of in either the medieval pretensions of the summa or the ambitious early modern bibliographic machines.
    Brendan Fitzgerald, Longreads, 27 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • In its easy-to-digest design, users first take a detailed personality test, then are partnered with compatible singles.
    Malia Griggs, Glamour, 2 Oct. 2025
  • The sympathetic system is responsible for the fight-or-flight response, while the parasympathetic system activates the body’s rest-and-digest mode.
    Clarissa Brincat, Popular Science, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • So how should regular people think about all the huge sums of money churning through the industry?
    Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
  • No more shooting, no more Death, no more vast and unsustainable sums of money spent.
    Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Not that there’s a whole lot of airtime still up for grabs; as NBC noted earlier this month, nearly all of its in-game NBA inventory was auctioned off during the spring upfront bazaar … although naturally the company is holding a percentage of units back to sell in the scatter market.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2025
  • While the second-quarter results were disappointing, officials cited improvement in inventory flow and progress capturing synergies in the wake of the acquisition.
    David Moin, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • With countless ventures on his resume, which also includes a productivity app for people with ADHD as well as an e-commerce website that donates 100% of profits to charity, Green’s days are rarely identical.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Highlights of his expansive film resume include Leviathan (1989), The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992), and Miss Congeniality (2000).
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Summary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/summary. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

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