summary

comparative more summary · superlative most summary

1. Concise, brief, or presented in a condensed form; presenting information in such a form.

   Near-synonym: abstractive

   2 more examples

   A summary review is in the appendix.

   Bernstein's critique of the philosophical basis of Marxism and its derivation from Hegelianism is summary in the extreme. He does not in fact seem to have known any more of Hegel's work than he could gather from the absurd simplifications of Engels.

   1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume II: The Golden Age, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: rozwój (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 104

   Synonyms: summative, summarizing[participial adjective|part. adj.]]>, abstractive

2. Performed speedily, without formal ceremony, and (especially) without regard to legality.

   Near-synonym: extrajudicial

   1 more example

   They used summary executions to break the resistance of the people.

   Synonyms: extrajudicial

3. lawPerformed by omitting the procedures of a full trial, but within a legally valid framework.

   The summary executions caused outrage.

   1 more example

   The matter was brought to a close by summary dismissal of the cases.

plural summaries

1. An abstract or a condensed presentation of the substance of a body of material.

   make a summary of the events

   1 more example

   I'd forgotten what happened in the first Harry Potter book so I read a summary of the narrative before starting the second one.

   Synonyms: précis, upshot, bottom line, short form, abridgment, abstract, compendium, conspectus

1. A surname.