ENGLISH
REFERENCE

summons

n. countable
C1 Advanced US //ˈsəmənz// UK //sˈʌmənz// sum·mons

n. an official order to appear in a court of law. You might receive one if you are a witness or if you are being sued.

n. an official legal document ordering a person to appear before a judge or magistrate. It may also refer to a formal call to attend a meeting or perform a specific duty.


SIMPLE

He received a summons to appear in court next Tuesday.

CONTEXTUAL

The defendant ignored the initial summons, leading the judge to issue a warrant for his arrest.

COMPLEX

Legal experts noted that the summons was delivered improperly, potentially invalidating the entire proceedings against the corporation for its environmental violations.

Synonyms
Usage

The word 'summons' is singular; the plural form is 'summonses'.

Pitfall

He received a summonHe received a summonsIn the noun sense, 'summons' is the singular form; 'summon' is only used as a verb.

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