Phrase guide

in a word

prep_phrase · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

prep_phrase

Meaning 1

In summary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: all in all, altogether, briefly, concisely, in other words, in short, in sum, in total, overall, summarily; see also Thesaurus:in other words
  • In order to deliver the news of Greek victory to Athens, Pheidippides covered the distance there from the plain of Marathon as quickly as his two legs could carry him, and did so without making any stops; in a word, he ran the entire distance.
  • Man, I got here by putting one foot in front of the other; in a word, I walked.
  • He was suspicious, standoffish, taciturn; in a word, hostile.
  • Susan soon discovered her blind date to be mean, vulgar, obstreperous, presuming, and insulting; in a word, a cad.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: all in all, altogether, briefly, concisely, in other words, in short, in sum, in total, overall, summarily

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From earlier in a worde, perhaps an alteration of Middle English at a worde (“in short, briefly, in a word”).

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: մի խոսքով (mi xoskʻov) — briefly, concisely
  • Azerbaijani: əlqərəz — briefly, concisely
  • Azerbaijani: xülasə — briefly, concisely
  • Azerbaijani: sözün qısası — briefly, concisely
  • Azerbaijani: müxtəsər — briefly, concisely
  • Azerbaijani: bir sözlə — briefly, concisely
  • Chinese Mandarin: 總之 /总之 (zǒngzhī) — briefly, concisely
  • Finnish: sanalla sanottuna — briefly, concisely
  • Finnish: lyhyesti sanoen — briefly, concisely
  • French: en un mot — briefly, concisely
  • Hungarian: egyszóval — briefly, concisely
  • Icelandic: í stuttu máli — briefly, concisely
  • Icelandic: í einu orði — briefly, concisely
  • Icelandic: í einu orði sagt — briefly, concisely
  • Lithuanian: žodžiu — briefly, concisely
  • Polish: jednym słowem — briefly, concisely
  • Portuguese: numa palavra — briefly, concisely
  • Russian: одни́м сло́вом (odním slóvom) — briefly, concisely
  • Ukrainian: одни́м сло́вом (odným slóvom) — briefly, concisely