n. & adj.
n. (pl. -ies) a brief account; an abridgement.
adj. 1 dispensing with needless details or formalities; brief (a summary account). 2 Law (of a trial etc.) without the customary legal formalities (summary justice). summary conviction a conviction made by a judge or magistrates without a jury. summary jurisdiction the authority of a court to use summary proceedings and arrive at a judgement. summary offence an offence within the scope of a summary court. summarily adv. summariness n.
[ ME f. L summarium f. L summa SUM ]