summarise

IPA/sˈʌməɹˌaɪz/
IPA/sˈʌmɚɹˌaɪz/

summarise — verb

1. to state the main points of a longer speech, text, or discussion in a short, cle

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to state the main points of a longer speech, text, or discussion in a short, clear way

Example

Christopher asked Kabir to summarise the quarterly sales report before the board meeting.

summarise + noun phrase (report)

The article summarises the key findings of a ten-year study on climate change.

Common collocations
  • briefly summarise
  • summarise the findings
  • summarise the main points
  • summarise a report
Synonyms
  • outline

    focuses on the main structure or headings rather than condensing all key points

  • recap

    more informal; used in conversation to briefly remind someone of what was already said

  • condense

    emphasises shortening the original text while keeping its essential meaning

Antonyms
  • elaborate

    to add more detail rather than condense information

Grammar Patterns

summarise + noun phrase

summarise + wh-clause

Usage Note

The object is typically a text, speech, discussion, report, or set of data. This sense is common in academic, business, and journalistic writing.

Common Mistakes

Can you summary the report?
Can you summarise the report?
'summary' is a noun; the verb form is 'summarise'.
He summarised about the meeting.
He summarised the meeting.
'summarise' is transitive and takes a direct object without a preposition.

2. to serve as a condensed version of a longer piece of work, argument, or set of i

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to serve as a condensed version of a longer piece of work, argument, or set of information

Example

The final chapter summarises the entire argument of the book.

stative: chapter summarises argument

Élise's opening statement summarised the team's position on the proposed changes.

Common collocations
  • chapter summarises
  • statement summarises
  • chart summarises
  • table summarises
Synonyms
  • outline

    broader; can describe main sections without condensing the original

  • encapsulate

    more formal; suggests capturing the essence in a compact form

Grammar Patterns

summarise + noun phrase

Usage Note

Stative sense — the subject is the thing that serves as the summary, not a person performing an action. Contrast with sense 1 (GIVE SUMMARY), where a person actively condenses information.

Idioms

to sum up

idiom

used to introduce a short statement that repeats the main points of something that has been said or written

To sum up, the project was a success thanks to everyone's hard work.

To sum up, we need more funding, better planning, and clearer leadership for the next phase.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe presenting information concisely, but they differ in focus and context. Summarise is the most general term, meaning to give the main points of a longer text or discussion. Outline emphasises the structure or framework, often listing key sections without condensing each part. Recap is informal and typically refers to briefly reminding someone of things already discussed in conversation. Condense focuses on reducing the length of a text while keeping its core meaning. For example, a student might summarise a chapter for a study guide, outline the chapter's structure for a presentation, recap what the teacher said at the end of a lesson, or condense a 300-page book into a ten-page summary.

summarise ↗outline ↗recapcondense ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • to summarise
  • in summary

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinLate LatinEnglish

From Latin 'summa' (meaning 'total' or 'highest point'), via Late Latin 'summarizare' (to make a summary). The English verb 'summarise' first appeared in the late 19th century, replacing the earlier phrasal 'sum up' in formal written contexts.