How to say "summary" in Japanese

• まとめJLPT N1approx.Common
  nounThe general word for a summary as a wrap-up or recap: the closing part of a talk, meeting, or piece of writing that pulls the points together. It also covers aggregation, gathering things into one.
• 概要がいようCommon
  nounCovers 'summary' as an overview or outline: a brief account of what a report, plan, or document contains, giving the shape of the whole rather than a condensed retelling of its content.
  ここまでで、この時期じきの政治せいじ不安ふあん増大ぞうだいに関かんする概要がいようを述のべてきた。↗

  Up to this point I have presented an overview of the growth of political unrest in the period.
• 要約ようやくCommon
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbThe word for a summary as a condensed version of a longer text or speech — the result of summarizing. Choose this when you have actually shortened the content to its essentials.
  その報告ほうこくを１ページに要約ようやくせよ。↗

  Boil down the report to one page.
• あらすじJLPT N2approx.Common
  nounFor 'summary' only in the sense of a story's outline: the plot of a novel, film, or drama told in brief. For other kinds of summary it is not the word you want.
• 総括そうかつCommon
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbA summing-up that covers everything as a whole: the concluding overview of a report, project, or period of activity, drawing general conclusions from the whole. It is not a plain condensed version of a text.

Choose 要約 for a condensed version of a text, 概要 for a brief overview of what something contains, 「まとめ」 for an everyday wrap-up, 「あらすじ」 for a story's plot, and 総括 for an overall summing-up.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• まとめsummary
• 概要がいようoutline
• 要約ようやくsummary
• あらすじoutline
• 総括そうかつsummarization
• ダイジェストdigest
• 概略がいりゃくoutline
• 大筋おおすじoutline
• 綱領こうりょうgeneral plan
• 要覧ようらんoutline
• 要旨ようし(main) point
• 抄録しょうろくquotation
• サマリーsummary
• レジュメsummary
• 摘要てきようsummary
• 提要ていようsummary
• 概括がいかつsummary
• 結言けつげんsummary
• 大要たいようsummary
• 摘録てきろくsummary
• 約言やくげんsummary
• 小括しょうかつsummary (e.g. in a thesis)
• 概言がいげんsummary
• あらましoutline
• 大意たいいsynopsis
• 大略たいりゃくoutline
• 梗概こうがいoutline
• 撮要さつようoutline
• 要略ようりゃくepitome
• 略言りゃくげんbrief statement
• 略述りゃくじゅつoutline
• 略筆りゃくひつoutline
• 略説りゃくせつoutline
• 要説ようせつoutline
• 総集編そうしゅうへんhighlights
• 締めくくりしめくくりconclusion
• 一覧いちらんsummary
• 輪郭りんかくsummary
• 大概たいがいgist
• 大綱たいこうoutline
• 素描そびょうoutline
• アブストラクトabstract (e.g. of a paper)