summons
Americannoun
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an authoritative command, message, or signal by which one is summoned.
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a request, demand, or call to do something.
a summons to surrender.
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Law.
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a call or citation by authority to appear before a court or a judicial officer.
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the writ by which the call is made.
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an authoritative call or notice to appear at a specified place, as for a particular purpose or duty.
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a call issued for the meeting of an assembly or parliament.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a call, signal, or order to do something, esp to appear in person or attend at a specified place or time
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an official order requiring a person to attend court, either to answer a charge or to give evidence
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the writ making such an order Compare warrant
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a call or command given to the members of an assembly to convene a meeting
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of summons
1250–1300; Middle English somons < Anglo-French; Old French somonse < Vulgar Latin *summonsa, for Latin summonita, feminine past participle of summonēre; see summon
Explanation
A summons is a request or order for someone to show up, especially for legal matters. You could get a summons to testify at a trial, for example. When you summon someone, you're requesting the person to join you, essentially saying, "Come here!" Similarly, a summons asks for someone to appear. This could be a friendly request or invitation, like a summons to join some friends for a road trip, but the most common type of summons is official and legally binding. If you receive a summons to appear in court, you have to show up. Ignoring that kind of summons is a crime.
Vocabulary lists containing summons
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act II
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"The Tragedy of Macbeth," Vocabulary from Act 2
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Red Queen
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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.
As the warmer weather summons us to spend more time outdoors, we might find ourselves feeling a little crowded.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
Indonesia began enforcing a social media ban for users under the age of 16 on Saturday, and has already issued summons letters to Google and Meta over their failure to comply with the law.
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
He summons a gentler touch to pay tribute to the vastness of Shakespeare’s empathy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
Dawud Burke, D4vd's father, fought against the summons in a Texas court, and in doing so included portions of material from the California case that had not been previously available to the public.
From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026
There by the bed lay my prison bag, packed and ready as it had been since the summons from the chief of police.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
