summary

American  

[suhm-uh-ree] / ˈsʌm ə ri /

noun

summaries plural

1. a comprehensive and usually brief abstract, recapitulation, or compendium of previously stated facts or statements.

   Synonyms:

   précis, outline

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adjective

1. brief and comprehensive; concise.

   Synonyms:

   succinct, compact, condensed, short

2. direct and prompt; unceremoniously fast.

   to treat someone with summary dispatch.

   Synonyms:

   brusque, terse, curt

3. (of legal proceedings, jurisdiction, etc.) conducted without, or exempt from, the various steps and delays of a formal trial.

summary British  

/ ˈsʌmərɪ /

noun

1. a brief account giving the main points of something

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adjective

1. performed arbitrarily and quickly, without formality

   a summary execution

2. (of legal proceedings) short and free from the complexities and delays of a full trial

3. the right a court has to adjudicate immediately upon some matter arising during its proceedings

4. giving the gist or essence

Synonym Usage

Summary, brief, digest, synopsis are terms for a short version of a longer work. A summary is a brief statement or restatement of main points, especially as a conclusion to a work: a summary of a chapter. A brief is a detailed outline, by heads and subheads, of a discourse (usually legal) to be completed: a brief for an argument. A digest is an abridgment of an article, book, etc., or an organized arrangement of material under heads and titles: a digest of a popular novel; a digest of Roman law. A synopsis is usually a compressed statement of the plot of a novel, play, etc.: a synopsis of Hamlet.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• summarily
  adverb
• summariness
  noun

Inflected Forms

noun

• summaries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of summary

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin summārium, equivalent to summ(a) “sum” + -ārium noun suffix; see sum, -ary

Explanation

A summary gives a short overview, or the main points, of something longer. She talked for days about the 800-page romantic novel, but her boyfriend's summary was "Girl meets boy, boy meets girl, boy rides horse into sunset, girl meets new boy. The end." Summary is a noun, and "summery" is an adjective, but they sound alike and both describe something short. A summer feels like a short piece of a long year, and a summary is a short statement about a longer piece. When a long speech or writing needs retelling in a short amount of time, a summary conveys the meaning in fewer words. Often a book cover has a summary of what's inside, and an introduction has a summary of the main points in a chapter.

Example Sentences

The agency highlighted a project called summary case management, which is reducing the number of trials heard by judges in sheriff courts.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

It’s not even a full summary of Season 5 highlights or a complete list of major character deaths.

From Salon • May 24, 2026

If no probate yet exists, consider filing a small‑estate affidavit or summary probate, which is often less expensive and faster than the full probate process.

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

Interesting, the market is already digesting a form of all three concerns as it waits for a fuller and more detailed summary of the U.S. visit to China.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

I knew I had only a few minutes left to collect the rest of the reports and write the Sunday school summary.

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry

Related Words

• analysis
• essence
• outline
• prospectus
• recap
• rehash
• review
• rundown
• sketch
• survey
• synopsis
• version