WordValesummons
an official order to appear in court
In more detail
1. (noun) an official written order to appear in court or to do something
2. (verb) to order someone officially to appear in court or at a place
3. (noun) a call or signal that asks someone to come
Examples
- 1. He received a summons to testify at the trial.
- 2. The witness was summoned to appear in court next week.
- 3. The bell was a summons for all students to gather in the hall.
How to use summons
As a noun, summons is a formal legal document requiring someone's presence in court or demanding compliance with an order. As a verb, it means to order someone to appear or to call someone urgently. The term is most common in legal contexts but can also describe any urgent call or signal. In British English, 'summons' functions as both singular and plural for the legal document; in American English, 'summonses' is the standard plural.
Common phrases
- serve a summons
- issue a summons
- respond to a summons
- court summons
- summons to appear
Synonyms
subpoena · citation · call · order · demand
Word family
summoned (past tense/adjective) · summoning (present participle)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes treat 'summons' as a plural form and create 'summon' as a singular, but the noun is 'summons' in both singular and plural contexts (in British English), and learners may confuse the legal noun with the verb form.
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