summarynoun [ C ]
uk/ˈsʌm.ər.i/us/ˈsʌm.ɚ.i/formal summationB2 a short, clear description that gives the main facts or ideas about something:
At the end of the news, they often give you a summary of the main stories.
In summary, they decided against the proposal.
More examples
- I only asked for a summary of the main points but she's making a real meal out of it.
- He gave us a short summary of the meeting.
- Our teacher asked us to write a summary of the story.
- In summary, the whole affair was a fiasco.
- This document gives a summary of the relevant items of law.
summaryadjective [ before noun ]
uk/ˈsʌm.ər.i/us/ˈsʌm.ɚ.i/done suddenly, without discussion or legal arrangements:
summary arrest/dismissal/execution
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Not expected or planned
- ad hoc
- ad hocism
- ad hockery
- ad lib
- ad-lib
- adventitious
- against (all) the odds/against all odds idiom
- explosive
- involuntary
- it's just one of those things idiom
- just like that idiom
- make sth up as you go along idiom
- muddle
- rude
- spur
- unawares
- undreamed of
- unexpected
- unforeseen
- unintended
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summarily
adverb uk/ˌsʌmˈer.əl.i/us/ˌsʌmˈer.əl.i/