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summarize

v.
B1 Intermediate Oxford US //ˈsəmɝˌaɪz// sum·ma·rize General-service

v. to give a short version of a long story or text by only mentioning the most important parts.

v. to provide a concise account of the main points of a text or event. Transitive — requires a direct object representing the information being condensed.


SIMPLE

Please summarize the main points of the meeting.

CONTEXTUAL

At the end of each chapter, the author provides a short paragraph to summarize the key findings for the reader.

COMPLEX

The executive assistant was tasked to summarize the lengthy legal brief into a single page of actionable bullet points for the board of directors.

Synonyms
Origin

From summary + -ize. From summ(ary) + -arize.

Usage

The verb is transitive and takes a direct object. In British English, it is often spelled 'summarise'.

Pitfall

summarize about the booksummarize the bookSummarize is a transitive verb; it takes a direct object and does not require the preposition 'about'.

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