Word: précis (noun)

Associations

The word "précis" means a short summary or a brief statement that explains the main points of something longer, like a speech, article, or book. It is often used in academic or professional settings.

• Example 1: "Please write a précis of the article." Here, it means a short summary of the article.
• Example 2: "The teacher asked us to prepare a précis of the lecture." This means a brief version of what was said in the lecture.
• Example 3: "The report includes a précis of the company's yearly performance." This means a short summary of the report.

Synonym: summary.
Difference: A "précis" is usually more formal and concise, focusing only on main points without any personal opinion. A "summary" can be more general and sometimes longer or include some interpretation.

Substitution

You can replace "précis" with words like:

• summary (more common and general)
• abstract (used especially for scientific papers)
• synopsis (used for stories or plays)

Each changes the feel slightly:

• "Abstract" is more technical.
• "Synopsis" is often about stories or films.
• "Summary" is the most general and everyday word.

Deconstruction

The word "précis" comes from French, where it means "precise" or "exact." It is borrowed into English to mean a precise, exact summary.
There is no prefix or suffix here; it is a complete word by itself.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you had to explain something in a short way? Would you call that a précis?
• How is a précis different from just telling someone what you think about a topic?
• When reading a long text, how could writing a précis help you understand it better?