How to say "summons" in Japanese

• 召喚しょうかんCommon
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbThe legal sense of 'summons': an official order to appear before a court or similar authority, close in feel to 'subpoena' or 'citation'.
  彼かれは証言しょうげんをするために召喚しょうかんされた。↗

  He was called to give evidence.
• 招致しょうちCommon
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbReally means inviting or bidding to bring someone or something — as in bidding to host the Olympics — so it is seldom the word you want for an actual 'summons' to appear.
• 招集しょうしゅうCommon
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbThe sense of calling people together: convening a meeting, assembly, or committee. Use it when 'summons' means a call to gather or attend, rather than a legal order.
  大統領だいとうりょうは軍隊ぐんたいを招集しょうしゅうした。↗

  The President called out the troops.
• 呼び出しよびだしCommon
  noun, suru verbA call to come out or come forward: paging someone, or a curtain call. Its 'summons' sense is being called to come, not a legal order.
  呼び出よびだしをお願ねがいします。↗

  I'd like to page someone.
• 喚問かんもんCommon
  noun, suru verb, transitive verbCovers the official sense of 'summons': calling a person to appear before a court or similar body to be questioned, much like 召喚 but with the nuance of being called to answer.
  証人しょうにんを月曜日げつようびに喚問かんもんするよう提案ていあんします。↗

  I move that the witness be summoned on Monday.

For a legal order to appear use 召喚 or 喚問; for convening a meeting use 招集; for being paged or called out use 「呼び出し」; 招致 is really 'invitation' or 'bidding'.

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

• 召喚しょうかんsummons
• 招致しょうちinvitation
• 招集しょうしゅうcall
• 呼び出しよびだしcall
• 喚問かんもんsummons
• 令状れいじょうwarrant
• 召しめしsummons
• 勾引状こういんじょうsummons
• 出頭命令しゅっとうめいれいsummons
• 召還しょうかんrecall (esp. of an envoy or an ambassador)
• 召喚状しょうかんじょう(writ of) summons
• 差し紙さしがみ(Edo-period) summons
• 呼び出し状よびだしじょう(writ of) summons
• 徴ちょうcall
• 口くちinvitation