Log in or Sign up

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. adj. Presenting the substance in a condensed form; concise: a summary review.
  2. adj. Performed speedily and without ceremony: summary justice; a summary rejection.
  3. n. A presentation of the substance of a body of material in a condensed form or by reducing it to its main points; an abstract.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. Containing the sum or substance only; reduced to few words; short; brief; concise; compendious: as, a summary statement of arguments or objections.
  2. Rapidly performed; quickly executed; effected by a short way or method; without hesitation, delay, or formality.
  3. Synonyms Succinct, Condensed, etc. (see concise); synoptical, terse, pithy.
  4. Prompt, rapid.
  5. n. An abridged or condensed statement or account; an abstract, abridgment, or compendium containing the sum or substance of a fuller statement.
  6. n. In law, a short application to a court or judge, without the formality of a full proceeding. Synonyms Compendium, Abstract, etc. See abridgment.

Wiktionary

  1. adj. Concise, brief or presented in a condensed form
  2. adj. Performed speedily and without formal ceremony.
  3. adj. Performed by cutting the procedures of a normal trial.
  4. n. An abstract or a condensed presentation of the substance of a body of material.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. adj. Formed into a sum; summed up; reduced into a narrow compass, or into few words; short; brief; concise; compendious.
  2. adj. Hence, rapidly performed; quickly executed.
  3. n. A general or comprehensive statement; an abridged account; an abstract, abridgment, or compendium, containing the sum or substance of a fuller account.

WordNet 3.0

  1. adj. briefly giving the gist of something
  2. n. a brief statement that presents the main points in a concise form
  3. adj. performed speedily and without formality

Etymologies

  1. Middle English, from Medieval Latin summārius, of or concerning the sum, from Latin summa, sum; see sum1.

Examples

Show 10 more examples...

Lists

These user-created lists contain the word ‘summary’.

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

‘summary’ has been looked up 1901 times, loved by 1 person, added to 11 lists, commented on 1 time, and has a Scrabble score of 14.