verb

summon

SUH-muhn

verb

To officially call people to come together or appear somewhere.

"The king summoned his advisors to the throne room."

"She was summoned to court as a witness."

To gather up an inner quality like courage or strength before acting.

"He summoned the courage to ask for a raise."

To call forth a creature or force using magic, especially in fiction and games.

"The wizard summoned a fire demon to guard the tower."

How to Use Summon

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo formally call someone (or something, magically) to appear.

Easily confused with

summons →

Common pairings

summon courage summon a witness summoned to appear

Word Forms

summoned past tense, summoned past tense, summon plural, summoned plural, summons plural, summons plural, summons singular, summon singular, summoned singular, summonest singular, summonedst singular, summoneth singular, summons singular

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The king _____ his advisors to the throne room.

Etymology

From Old French sumundre, going back to Latin summonēre ("to remind secretly"), from sub- + monēre ("to warn").