summary — English Dictionary

Adjective

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

   Synonyms

   summativesummarizing[participial adjective|part. adj.]]>abstractive

   Examples

   Near-synonym: abstractive

   A summary review is in the appendix.

   More examples (1)

   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.

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

   Synonyms

   extrajudicial

   Examples

   Near-synonym: extrajudicial

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

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

   Broader terms

   expeditedexpeditious

   Examples

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

   The summary executions caused outrage.

Noun

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

   Synonyms

   précisupshotbottom line

   Examples

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

   make a summary of the events

Adjective

1. performed speedily and without formality

   Synonyms

   drumhead

   Examples

   a summary execution

   summary justice

2. briefly giving the gist of something

   Synonyms

   compendiouscompactsuccinct

   Examples

   a short and compendious book

   a compact style is brief and pithy

   More examples (2)

   succinct comparisons

   a summary formulation of a wide-ranging subject

Noun

1. a brief statement that presents the main points in a concise form

   Synonyms

   sum-up

   Broader terms

   statement

   Examples

   he gave a summary of the conclusions