以上这些术语均有诉讼出庭通知或传票的含义。其中， process等同一般术语(general term),概念较宽，可用作指法院签发的有关诉讼的各种通知，如诉讼通知书、传票，出庭通知等[1] 。而subpoena则用于传唤证人以在审判时提供证词、书证等，而不是传唤诉讼当事人出庭的文件，故其应为“出庭通知”[2]。summons主要用于传唤诉讼当事人故其为“传票”[3] (尽管在有些美国法律词典说其也可用于指传唤证人出庭佐证的 “出庭通知”[4])。在加拿大和英国，人们常用summons to witness 来替代subpoena指传唤证人或证据的“出庭通知”[5]。writ of summons (传票）和writ of subpoena (出庭通知）一般在加拿大和英国等地适用，writ (or writ of summons)与summons的差别在于后者多用于较低级的法院，如小额索赔法院（small claim court)、郡法院等，而前者则用于高等法院、最高法院等[6]。citation 主要为苏格兰用语， 主要指传唤证人或证据，故为“出庭通知”[7]。

[1 ] “ A formal document through which a court obtains jurisdiction over a person or property，compels a person to appear in court or participate in a proceeding，or otherwise orders a person to do or not to do something； e. g.，a summons, a writ of attachment, or a subpoena. ”Cf. James E. Clapp, Random House Webster's Dictionary of the Law, at p. 343， Random House, New York (2000).

[2 ] “A subpoena is a document to appear at a certain time and place to give testimony upon a certain matter. A subpoena duces tecum requires production of books, papers and other things. " Cf. The publishers Editorial Staff, Black’s Law Dictionary, abridged 6th edition, at p. 995, West Publishing Co. (1991).

[3] “A process directing a defendant to appear in court to answer a civil complaint ora criminal charge. ” Cf. James E. Clapp, Random House Websters Dictionary of the Law, at p. 419，Random House, New York (2000). “Official command from a court requiring someone to appear in court to be tried for a criminal offense or to defend a civil action. ” Cf. P. H. Collin, Dictionary of Law, 2nd edition, at p. 536，Peter Collin Publishing (1995).