Synopsis

/sɪˈnɒpsɪs/ or /sɪˈnɑːpsɪs/ noun

Definition

A synopsis is a short summary that gives the main points of a book, movie, article, or event. It helps someone quickly understand what something is about without reading or seeing the whole thing.

Etymology

From Late Latin 'synopsis', from Greek 'synopsis' meaning 'general view', from 'syn-' (together) and 'opsis' (view). It literally means seeing things 'all together' at once.

Kelly Says

A good synopsis doesn’t just shrink a story; it chooses what to leave out, which is a powerful kind of editing. Learning to write synopses trains you to see the skeleton of ideas beneath all the details.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.