# summons

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈsʌ.mənz/ · frequency rank #15,712

## Definitions
1. A call to do something, especially to come.
2. A notice summoning someone to appear in court, as a defendant, juror or witness.
3. A demand for surrender.

## Etymology
From Middle English somouns (“order or command to do something”), borrowed from Old French sumunce (modern French semonce), from Vulgar Latin *summonsa, a noun use of the feminine past participle of summoneō, summonēre (“to summon”).

## Easily confused with
- **Symons** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/summons-vs-symons)
- **summon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/summon-vs-summons)
- **Simons** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/simons-vs-summons)
- **Simmons** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/simmons-vs-summons)
- **Summers** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/summers-vs-summons)
- **Sermons** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sermons-vs-summons)
- **summing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/summing-vs-summons)
- **summoned** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/summoned-vs-summons)

## Common misspellings (9)
`smumons`, `ssummons`, `summnos`, `summonns`, `summonss`, `summosn`, `sumomns`, `sumons`, `usmmons`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/summons