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Summons: meaning, definitions and examples

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summons

 

[ ˈsʌmənz ]

Noun / Verb
Context #1 | Noun

legal document

A summons is a legal document issued by a court or other legal authority that notifies a party that a legal proceeding has been started against them. It typically includes the date, time, and location of the court appearance required.

Synonyms

citation, subpoena, warrant

Examples of usage

  • The defendant received a summons to appear in court next week.
  • She was shocked to receive a summons in the mail.
Context #2 | Verb

calling someone to appear or come

To summons means to officially call someone to appear or come somewhere, especially in a legal context. It can also refer to invoking someone to do something.

Synonyms

call, convene, muster

Examples of usage

  • The judge summonsed the witness to the stand.
  • He was summonsed to attend the meeting.

Translations

Translations of the word "summons" in other languages:

🇵🇹 convocação

🇮🇳 समन

🇩🇪 Vorladung

🇮🇩 panggilan

🇺🇦 виклик

🇵🇱 wezwanie

🇯🇵 召喚 (しょうかん)

🇫🇷 convocation

🇪🇸 citación

🇹🇷 celp

🇰🇷 소환 (소환)

🇸🇦 استدعاء

🇨🇿 předvolání

🇸🇰 predvolanie

🇨🇳 传票 (chuánpiào)

🇸🇮 poziv

🇮🇸 stevna

🇰🇿 шақыру

🇬🇪 გამოწვევა

🇦🇿 çağırış

🇲🇽 citación

Etymology

The word 'summons' originated from Middle English, from the Old French word 'sumunse', based on Latin 'summonere' (to remind privately). The term has been used in legal contexts for centuries, reflecting the formal nature of calling someone to court or to appear before an authority.

See also: summoning, summonings.

Word Frequency Rank

At #6,345 in frequency, this word belongs to advanced vocabulary. It's less common than core vocabulary but important for sophisticated expression.