summons
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summons¹
- /ˈsʌ.mənz/
Where it comes from
From Middle English somouns (“order or command to do something”), borrowed from Old French sumunce (modern French semonce), from Vulgar Latin *summonsa, a noun use of the feminine past participle of summoneō, summonēre (“to summon”).
noun summonses
- A call to do something, especially to come. He sent to summon the seditious, and to offer pardon[…]; but neither summons nor pardon was any thing regarded.
-
A notice summoning someone to appear in court, as a defendant, juror or witness.
Four summonses were brought recently on behalf of St. Pancras Borough Council against the British Transport Commission in respect of the emission of smoke by locomotives standing at Camden Motive Power Depot. (The summonses were dismissed)
Similar: subpoena
- A demand for surrender.
Similar: citation, invocation, subpoena, summons, writ of summons
verb summonses · summonsing · summonsed
-
To serve someone with a summons.
It proposes that those held in the prototype Selfridges cells be kept for a maximum of four hours to have their identity confirmed and be charged, summonsed or given a fine.
Similar: convene
summons²
- /ˈsʌ.mənz/
Where it comes from
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
verb
- third-person singular simple present indicative of summon
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: bidding, process, cite, call for, invitation, solicitation, attendance, assignment, citation, convocation, convening, writ, subpoena, commendation, summing, summation
noun
Similar: citation, invocation, subpoena, summons, writ of summons
noun
Similar: citation, invocation, subpoena, summons, writ of summons
Translations
Every language
noun call to do something, especially to come
| Español | convocatoria |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 呼び出し yobidashi |
| Português | convocação |
| Français | convocation |
| Deutsch | Aufforderung |
| Italiano | convocazione, adunanza |
| Русский | вы́зов výzov |
| العربية | اِسْتِدْعَاء istidʕāʔ |
noun notice summoning someone to appear in court
| Español | citación |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 소환 sohwan, 소환장 sohwanjang |
| 日本語 | 召喚 shōkan, 召喚状 shōkanjō |
| 中文 | 傳票 /传票 chuánpiào, 傳訊 /传讯 chuánxùn |
| हिन्दी | सम्मन samman |
| Kiswahili | barua ya wito |
| Português | intimação |
| Français | citation à comparaître, citation, convocation |
| Deutsch | Vorladung |
| Italiano | citazione |
| Ελληνικά | κλήση klísi |
| Русский | пове́стка povéstka |
| العربية | اِسْتِدْعَاء istidʕāʔ |
Talk about this word "summons." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/summons. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. summons. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/summons "summons." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/summons.Cite this
@misc{summons_2026,
title = {summons},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/summons},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
