summons
- 01 C1 Advanced
an official paper that tells you that you must go to a court of law.
a legal document issued by a court or administrative agency ordering a person to appear at a specific time and place.
Simple“He received a summons in the mail telling him to appear for jury duty next month.”
In context“The defendant was issued a formal summons to answer the allegations of breach of contract in the high court.”
UsageThe singular noun ends in 's'; the plural is 'summonses'.
PitfallThe police gave him a summon to go to court. The police gave him a summons to go to court.In the singular, the noun is 'summons'. The plural form is 'summonses'.
- 02 C1 Advanced
a serious or official request for you to go somewhere or do a task.
an authoritative call or urgent invitation to attend a place or perform a specific duty.
Simple“The king sent a summons to all his lords to meet at the castle.”
In context“She felt a sudden summons to return to her childhood home, though no one had explicitly asked her to visit.”
Synonyms
“The following day, police sergeant Sidney Short served him with a summons.”