noun
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the point or substance of an argument, speech, etc
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law the essential point of an action
Etymology
Origin of gist
First recorded in 1720–30; from Anglo-French (cest action) gist “(this matter) lies,” 3rd-person singular present of Anglo-French, Old French gesir “to lie” (compare modern French ci-gît “here lies”), ultimately from Latin jacēre; adjacent ( def. ), hic jacet ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This has been the gist of every serious analysis of Europe’s economy for the past several decades, the most recent of which was prepared in 2024 by former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi.
The loss has been analysed but not exorcised is his gist.
From BBC
“Now that you’ve gotten the gist of things, you can go ahead and choose your partners.”
From Literature
This pretty much captures the gist of the show’s debut season.
From Salon
“When I was a young guy,” Perryman said, “my head was all over the place — just trying to get the gist of the NFL. They taught me how to be where my mind is.”
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
