summarize

American  

[suhm-uh-rahyz] / ˈsʌm əˌraɪz /

especially British, summarise

verb (used with object)

summarized, summarizing

1. to make a summary of; state or express in a concise form.

2. to constitute a summary of.

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summarize British  

/ ˈsʌməˌraɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to make or be a summary of; express concisely

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Other Word Forms

• summarist noun
• summarizable adjective
• summarization noun
• summarizer noun
• unsummarizable adjective
• unsummarized adjective
• well-summarized adjective

Etymology

Origin of summarize

First recorded in 1870–75; summar(y) + -ize

Explanation

To summarize something, only include the important stuff. If your teacher asks you to summarize several events from the Civil War, she wants the important facts, not every single detail you can find. When you summarize something, you write or tell the general idea and only the most important points. It's a skill we often use in school or at work, but even in our personal lives, we summarize: like when a friend asks what the book you're reading is about, or someone wants to know about your recent vacation. You don't tell them every single detail, talking yourself to exhaustion. Instead, you summarize — describing just the key events that "sum up" the experience.

Example Sentences

She recalled a recent session in which she used Anthropic’s Claude to brainstorm for an hour and a half, then asked it to summarize the conversation in a document.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Scientific statements summarize current knowledge and identify areas for further research.

From Science Daily • Feb. 27, 2026

Staff are using AI tools to draft documents, summarize research, and assist with coding, he said.

From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026

“Each time samurai would commit the ritual suicide of seppuku, they would first read the death poem they had prepared in order to summarize their life and make sense of it,” Murakami said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

“Now, Dr. Whitman. I’m returning to you what is now in evidence as exhibit 5-A: your investigative report concerning this fishing gaff, among other things. Would you please summarize for the court your findings?”

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson

Related Words

• compile
• encapsulate
• epitomize
• outline
• recap
• rehash
• sum up