adjective
summary
Done without the usual full formal procedure.
The company uses summary dismissal for serious violations of safety rules.
Etymology
Summary developed the idea of treating the main points without full detail. Applied to procedure, it means dispensing with the usual extended formal steps.
More examples
- The judge grants summary judgment without holding a full trial.
- The committee's summary rejection gives us no chance to respond.
- The new rules prohibit summary punishment without a hearing.
Forms
summary
summarily adverb — Without following the usual full procedure.
Similar words
- peremptory
- Emphasizes finality and leaves no opportunity for challenge.
- expedited
- Describes a process made faster, not necessarily less formal.