summon

[ suhm-uhn ]

verb (used with object)

1. to call upon to do something specified.
2. to call for the presence of, as by command, message, or signal; call.
3. to call or notify to appear at a specified place, especially before a court:

   to summon a defendant.

4. to authorize or order a gathering of; call together by authority, as for deliberation or action:

   to summon parliament.

5. to call into action; rouse; call forth (often. followed by up ):

   to summon all one's courage.

summon

/ ˈsʌmən /

verb

1. to order to come; send for, esp to attend court, by issuing a summons
2. to order or instruct (to do something) or call (to something)

   the bell summoned them to their work

3. to call upon to meet or convene
4. often foll by up to muster or gather (one's strength, courage, etc)

Derived Forms

• ˈsummonable, adjective

Other Words From

• sum·mon·a·ble adjective
• sum·mon·er noun
• re·sum·mon verb (used with object)
• un·sum·mon·a·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of summon¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; from Medieval Latin summonēre “to summon,” Latin: “to remind unofficially, suggest,” equivalent to sum- sum- + monēre “to remind, warn”; replacing Middle English somonen, from Old French semondre, somondre, from unattested Vulgar Latin summonere, Latin summonēre, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of summon¹

C13: from Latin summonēre to give a discreet reminder, from monēre to advise

Synonym Study

See call.

Example Sentences

At these gatherings, Christians who believe they can use faith to summon miracles and access supernatural gifts such as healing spoke in tongues while calling for God’s angelic forces to combat the evil propping up Trump’s enemies.

From Slate

"But I will not summon him in the mirror!"

From BBC

These kinds of comparisons are out of vogue; it has been hard to summon back the outrage we felt about Trump in 2016 this third time around.

From Slate

That strategy, which later propelled the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, has been amplified of late by his calls that if reelected he would summon the military and Justice Department to put down the “enemy from within.”

From Los Angeles Times

As anyone who watched the Jan. 6 committee hearings or has read some of the indictment materials from special prosecutor Jack Smith can attest, Trump spent the last months of 2020 working the phones, conspiring with lackeys and pushing propaganda with a level of energy and sharpness he can no longer summon up for a 15-minute interview.

From Salon

Related Words

• ask
• assemble
• call
• call for
• call in
• convene
• direct
• draft
• gather
• invite
• mobilize
• recall
• request
• subpoena