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Glite Dictionary
💡 To hint at 📝 To outline briefly
to adumbrate

to adumbrate

9.9
To give a short general account of the main points
  • verb
  • /ˈædʌmˌbreɪt/
  • Formal
translation icon : esbozar
  • In his presentation, the researcher adumbrated the key findings of her study.

Examples

  • Well, returning to a thing must imply that at some previous time we departed from it; consequently, I wonder if we adumbrate the shape or spirit of tomorrow.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Theorists such as Sidney Jourard, Arthur Combs, and by extension, William Glasser have adumbrated the importance of relationships or involvements for many years.

    Academic text (2007)

  • His historical examples merely adumbrate a story that must ultimately be told by the voice of a reason that transcends community.

    Academic text (1999)

  • My point is that the argument so far adumbrated makes no mention of the points made in that book.

    Blog text (20)

  • Certainly, the models of personhood adumbrated here seem inapplicable.

    Academic text (1997)

  • In President Johnson's 1965 speech at Howard University, which adumbrated the rationale for what has come to be called affirmative action, he said, "Men are shaped by their world."

    Academic text (1996)

  • The report adumbrates the main points of the new policy for easy understanding.

  • The article adumbrates the history of the organization, highlighting its major achievements.

Synonyms

to outline
vsto adumbrate
148 3.3

To give the main points of something

focuses on a short sketch of key points not full detail
to summarize
vsto adumbrate
  • US
90 3.0

Present the main points of a text in a short, clear way

gives a general summary without full detail
to sketch
vsto adumbrate
27 3.6

To give a short rough description of the main points

offers a neater general summary instead of a rough description
to synopsize
vsto adumbrate
1 6.4

To give a short summary of the main points

aims at a general outline rather than detailed explanation
to capsulize
vsto adumbrate
  • US
1 8.2

To put ideas or information into a short summary

summarizes by reducing length rather than giving full explanation

Antonyms

to expand
805 2.5

To grow larger in size, amount, or importance

to elaborate
79 4.2

To give more details or explain something more fully

How Detailed

to detail
105 3.1
outline
59 2.7
to adumbrate
  • Formal
9.9
to note
951 1.6
to mention
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

adumbrate infinitive
adumbrated past
adumbrated past participle
adumbrating present participle
adumbrates third person singular

Morphology

adumbrate = umbrate (opaque) = ad + umbr + ate

The word is derived from Latin roots, and the meaning is not directly transparent from its components.

Etymology

Adumbrate comes from the Latin parts ad- ('to') and umbra ('shadow'), so it originally meant to 'cast a shadow' or show the shape of something. So, to adumbrate today is to give a short, sketchy outline or brief summary.