synopses

synopses

A librarian places several book synopses on a display stand.

Definition
  1. Noun (plural form of ):
    • Brief summaries: "synopses" are concise overviews or condensed versions of a larger work, such as a book, film, or article, highlighting the main points or plot.
Usage Examples
  • (Brief summaries of the book's plot.)
  • (Short descriptions of each film's storyline.)
  • (Condensed versions of academic papers.)
Advanced Usage
  • "to provide synopses of": to give brief accounts of multiple works.
    • The anthology includes synopses of each chapter for easy reference. (Each chapter is summarized concisely.)
  • "in synopses form": presented as a brief summary rather than a full text.
    • The report was written in synopses form to save time. (It was condensed.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Synopsis (singular noun): a single brief summary.
    • He read a synopsis of the play before attending the performance. (A single summary.)
  • Synoptic (adjective): relating to or providing a general view or summary.
    • The synoptic chart gave an overview of weather patterns. (A summary view.)
  • Synopsize (verb): to make a synopsis of something.
    • She synopsized the lengthy document in just two paragraphs. (Summarized.)
Synonyms
  • Summaries: concise accounts of the main points.
  • Abstracts: brief statements of the essential content of a work.
  • Outlines: general plans or sketches of the main features.
  • Digests: compilations or condensed versions of information.
Related Idioms
  • In a nutshell: in a very concise or compact form.
    • He explained the plot in a nutshell, much like a synopsis. (Very briefly.)
  • The long and short of it: the essential summary or main point.
    • The long and short of it is that the synopses captured the key ideas. (The basic summary.)