summons
Americannoun
plural
summonses-
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
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.
Bieber asks, and the trick of a song born from a branding problem is that it summons the sensation of endless ascent.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
There was a fake but convincing summons from the Sao Paolo police apparently charging one individual with money-laundering, typically used to scare victims into transferring funds or information about bank accounts.
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026
Indonesia issued summons letters to Google and Meta over their failure to comply with a social media ban for under-16s that entered into force over the weekend, the communications minister said.
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
“The summons from Set and Isis,” Melanie said.
From "The Egypt Game" by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
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.
