summon
Americanverb (used with object)
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to call upon to do something specified.
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to call for the presence of, as by command, message, or signal; call.
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to call or notify to appear at a specified place, especially before a court.
to summon a defendant.
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to authorize or order a gathering of; call together by authority, as for deliberation or action.
to summon parliament.
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to call into action; rouse; call forth (often. followed byup ).
to summon all one's courage.
verb
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to order to come; send for, esp to attend court, by issuing a summons
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to order or instruct (to do something) or call (to something)
the bell summoned them to their work
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to call upon to meet or convene
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(often foll by up) to muster or gather (one's strength, courage, etc)
Synonym Usage
See call.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has summonedperfect 3rd person singular
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have summonedperfect
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has been summoningperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is summoningprogressive 3rd person singular
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am summoningprogressive 1st person singular
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have been summoningperfect progressive
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are summoningprogressive
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summonssingular 3rd person
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summoningparticiple
Past
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had summonedperfect
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was summoningprogressive singular
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were summoningprogressive plural
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had been summoningperfect progressive
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summonedparticiple
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summonedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of summon
First recorded in 1175–1225; from Medieval Latin summonēre “to summon,” Latin: “to remind unofficially, suggest,” equivalent to sum- sum- + monēre “to remind, warn”; replacing Middle English somonen, from Old French semondre, somondre, from unattested Vulgar Latin summonere, Latin summonēre, as above
Explanation
To summon is to formally call for the presence of someone. If, as soccer team captain, you find that your team members are an hour late for the big game, you might need to summon them — and fast. Summon can also mean “gather up,” as one might summon one’s courage" before that big game. Summon is also occasionally used in reference to the supernatural, as when one tries to call forth a spirit or ghost. If you think the team needs additional help on the field, you might try to summon some supernatural backup.
Vocabulary lists containing summon
List 4
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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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.
He doesn’t abandon art, but he can’t summon the urge to sell himself or his work, to graft his joy in making things onto the caprices of the marketplace.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
The valets in the lobby summon golf carts with a flick of the wrist, graciously driving me back and forth from the parking lot.
From Slate • Jun. 2, 2026
The nationwide outcry that followed the assault forced Kenya's parliament to summon the country's top security chiefs.
From BBC • May 3, 2026
The question remains whether we as a people can summon the political will to make the needed changes — or any.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026
‘The bear demon, the demon bear. And the Walker told him not to summon it!’
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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.
