Issue a summons: meaning, definitions and examples

Primarily used in legal settings where a formal notice is given to a person to appear in court.

• The police officer had to issue a summons to the driver for failing to appear at the court hearing.

Often used in formal or serious contexts to command someone to appear somewhere, sometimes having an authoritative tone.

• The king decided to summon his council before making the final decision.
• The manager will summon the team for an urgent meeting.

Used in everyday language to request someone to come to a place or to communicate with someone via phone. It lacks the formal and legal connotations.

• I need to call my friend to meet up for dinner.
• Could you call the plumber to fix the leak?

Typically used in both an academic context, referring to references, and in legal contexts, meaning to officially summon someone to court.

• The professor asked us to cite our sources in the research paper.
• The officer cited him for driving over the speed limit.