What does summoned mean?
Summoned is the past tense and past participle of summon, a formal verb meaning to call someone to attend or to bring a person or resource into action. It is especially associated with legal and official notices, as in being summoned to court, and with emergency measures, as in summoning an ambulance or rescue team. The verb can also mean to request something forcefully or call it into existence, as in summoning help. Figuratively, to summon a memory, emotion, or response is to bring it consciously into the mind. These figurative expressions are especially common when someone is trying to recall information or overcome difficulty, as in summoning the courage to continue. In each use, the word suggests calling something or someone into attention or action.
verbTo call someone to attend a place, especially by law or official authority. It can also mean to request or urge something to happen, or to bring a thought or feeling into one’s mind.
- To call someone to attend, appear before an authority, or meet at a particular place.
- To request, urge, or bring about something, such as an emergency response or a feeling.
- To bring a thought, memory, or feeling into awareness.
"The committee summoned the witnesses to appear before the inquiry."
"The governor summoned the emergency team after the storm."
"She tried to summon the courage to speak in public."
A summons can be a legal command, an emergency call, or an inward summons to remember what matters.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does summoned come from?
Summoned derives from the Middle English verb summon, which came through Old French somondre from a Latin root related to submōnere, meaning to call or summon. The Latin prefix sub- suggested calling from below or calling attention, while mōnere meant to warn, advise, or command. English developed several related forms, including summons and summoner, while the standard verb remained summon.
Related word forms
How summoned is actually used
The word is formal and common in legal, official, and emergency contexts. It can sound forceful or compulsory when used of an official authority, while its figurative uses often suggest making an effort to recall or evoke something.