précis
noun
a concise summary.
précis
American
[prey-see, prey-see]
/ preɪˈsi, ˈpreɪ si /
noun
-
précis
plural
verb (used with object)
precis
British
/ ˈpreɪsiː /
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of précis
1750–60; < French, noun use of adj., literally, cut short. See precise
Explanation
A precis is a summary of something's main points. If you've ever jotted down notes about your main ideas before writing a persuasive essay, you've used a precis. Precis looks like precise, and of course, you always want your precis to be precise. But the words are pronounced differently. Precis comes from the French word précis, so say it like this: "PRAY see." Or you can accent the other syllable: "pray SEE." The s is only pronounced if the word is plural: "PRAY sees." The spelling stays the same.
Vocabulary lists containing precis
The Picture of Dorian Gray
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English Words Derived from French, List 11
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Vocabulary from the Lyrics of Stephen Sondheim, Volume I
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
As a précis to a larger, more scholarly work, it lacks the depth and historical context that many enthusiasts of classical drama may be hungry for.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
A précis of Elmer’s early life in Maine is run through by members of the eight-person cast in the bouncy, no-nonsense manner of a graphic novel.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2025
He segued into a précis of his political life, starting when he was a 29-year-old senator.
From Slate ● Mar. 8, 2024
The movie gives a moving précis of their work-life collaboration before addressing the decisions Jones made in the aftermath of Zane’s death.
From New York Times ● Jul. 15, 2021
Mutual waves of the trumpets served as replies to the questions, and then, after taking a moment to muster his French, Sir Gervaise continued— "J'espère voir Monsieur le Contre-Amiral à dîner, à cinq heures, précis."
From The Two Admirals by James Fenimore Cooper
A neat precis of Pakistan's World Cup campaign, overall.
From BBC ● Feb. 28, 2026
A recurring line from “First Reformed” feels like a precis for all of these: Will God forgive us?
From New York Times ● Dec. 5, 2024
"The performances are accomplished. Norton gives us a soul broken into fragments. The play, inevitably can only deliver a precis of a book that sprawls over some 700 pages."
From BBC ● Apr. 6, 2023
And there let me stop, even though Connington’s provocative and suspenseful novel includes much more than I’ve touched on in this partial precis.
From Washington Post ● May 26, 2021
With this brittle precis of her obligations he left the table and went toward the bedroom.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
