A summons is an official order requiring someone to appear in court or answer a legal complaint. When you receive a summons, you're being formally notified that you must show up at a specific place and time, usually because you're involved in a legal case.

Think of it as more serious than an invitation: you can decline an invitation to a birthday party, but ignoring a summons can get you in real trouble with the law. Courts issue summonses to witnesses who need to testify, to defendants being sued, or to people accused of minor violations. A police officer might give you a summons for a traffic violation instead of arresting you, requiring you to appear in court on a certain date.

Outside of legal contexts, people sometimes use summons more playfully: a teacher might joke about issuing a summons to the principal's office, or you might receive a summons to dinner when your parent calls you to the table. But in its true sense, a summons carries legal weight and demands respect and attention.

The related verb is summon, which means to call someone to appear, or to gather up something from within yourself, like summoning your courage before a big presentation.