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Glite Dictionary
📄 An official order 📣 To order to appear 🧙 A magic call
to summons

to summons

14 5.3
To order someone to appear in court
  • verb
  • /ˈsʌmənz/
  • Formal
translation icon : convocar
  • But the story involves somebody who is summoned before a firing squad to be executed.

But the story involves somebody who is summoned before a firing squad to be executed.

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Examples

  • Only the King summons the Guardian.

    Warcraft (2016)

  • I went to court when they summoned him, they gave him three weeks in in in jail.

  • When she wants us, she summons us.

    Vamps (2012)

  • But if the King summons me first, there is not much I can do.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • The Emperor summons our princes to Augsburg.

    Luther (2003)

  • Hearing this, Bush immediately summons Teeter and other top aides.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • The judge summons the defendant to the stand to testify.

  • When the council needs her input, the mayor summons her to the meeting.

  • During the investigation, the sergeant summons a witness for questioning.

Synonyms

to call
vsto summons
  • Formal
∞ 2.0

To ask people to say if they are present

is specifically about ordering appearance, especially in official situations
to summon
vsto summons
  • Formal
200 5.3

Officially call someone to come, often to court

orders appearing in official settings rather than urgent or general calls
to cite
vsto summons
  • Formal
33 6.4

To officially tell someone to appear before a court

orders appearance in official situations more broadly than only court
to issue a subpoena
vsto summons
  • Formal
15 8.1

To officially order someone to go to court or give evidence

orders appearance without specifying a legal document

How Forceful

to command
307 2.7
to compel
258 4.8
to summons
  • Formal
14 5.3
to order
902 1.3
to request
∞ 1.0
to ask
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

summons infinitive
summoned past
summoned past participle
summoning present participle
summonses third person singular

Morphology

summons = summon (transparent) = summon + s

This is the regular third-person singular present form of 'summon', so the meaning is fully compositional.

Etymology

Summons (verb) comes from the same old Latin parts sub- 'under' and monere 'to warn or call', and it shares its root with the English word monitor which also has the idea of warning. So to summons someone is to formally 'call' them to appear.