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Practice Summarize with Flashcards, Spelling and Quizzes

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Definition of summarize

To condense and present the main points, ideas, or information from a larger text, speech, or piece of content into a concise and coherent form.
"The executive asked his assistant to summarize the key findings of the market research."

Detailed Meaning of Summarize

When summarizing, one extracts the essential elements, distills the key arguments or concepts, and provides a brief overview or synopsis. The goal is to capture the essence of the original material while omitting unnecessary details and maintaining the overall meaning. Summarizing requires comprehension and analysis skills to identify the most important elements and effectively communicate them in a concise manner. It is commonly used in academic, professional, and journalistic contexts as a way to convey information efficiently, aid in understanding complex subjects, and provide a quick overview or reference for the audience.

Example Sentences for Summarize

1. Could you please summarize the main points of the presentation for us?
2. After reading the book, she was able to summarize the plot in just a few sentences.
3. The news anchor will summarize the day's top stories in the evening broadcast.
4. I need to summarize this lengthy report into a single-page executive summary.
5. The teacher asked the students to summarize the article they had just read.
6. The review article will summarize the current state of research in the field.

Origin and Etymology of Summarize

The verb 'summarize' is formed from the noun 'summary,' which has its roots in Latin. The Latin word 'summarium' is derived from 'summa,' meaning 'total' or 'whole,' and 'arium,' denoting a place or container for something. 'Summarium' originally referred to an abridged statement or a summary of accounts. Over time, it evolved into the noun 'summary' and the associated verb 'summarize.' The etymology of 'summarize' subtly reflects the act of condensing and presenting the essential elements from a larger text, speech, or content, much like gathering and containing the total essence or main points in a concise and coherent form.

Quiz Question - Test Your Understanding 

Find the correct meaning of the verb summarize:

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More Usage Examples of Summarize

1. The journalist will summarize the interview with the celebrity in tomorrow's newspaper.
2. I'll summarize the main points of the meeting in an email and send it to everyone.
3. The historian wrote a book to summarize the events leading up to the war.
4. The presenter used visual aids to help summarize complex information for the audience.
5. The software can automatically summarize long texts, saving time and effort.
6. Please summarize the key findings of the research study.
7. Can you summarize the plot of that novel for me?
8. The executive will summarize the quarterly report tomorrow.
9. Let's summarize our discussion points from the meeting.
10. I need to summarize this lengthy article for my presentation.
11. The teacher asked us to summarize the chapter in our own words.
12. He will summarize the main arguments in his closing statement.
13. Can you summarize the main points of the lecture for me?
14. She was able to summarize the movie's complex storyline.
15. The news anchor will summarize the day's top headlines.
16. It's important to summarize the case study accurately.
17. I will summarize the historical events in my essay.
18. Let's summarize the pros and cons of this decision.
19. He will summarize the company's financial performance.
20. The goal is to summarize the lengthy contract for the client.
21. She will summarize the main events of the documentary.
22. Can you summarize the interview highlights in a few sentences?
23. It's challenging to summarize such a dense scientific paper.
24. I'll summarize the main takeaways from the workshop.
25. We need to summarize the data for our final report.

Synonyms and Related Words for Summarize

abbreviate
brief
recap
recount
reprise
synopsize

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Vocabulary Lists  >  Ending and Conclusion  >  Summarize
IPA: /ˈsʌm əˌraɪz/

How to pronounce summarize in IPA:

s=sip | ʌ=cup | m=man | ə=about | r=red | aɪ=my | z=zip

Summarize (verb) – Definition, Pronunciation & Examples

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summarize

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