inscribe

verb

in·​scribe in-ˈskrīb 

inscribed; inscribing; inscribes

transitive verb

1

a

: to write, engrave, or print as a lasting record

b

: to enter on a list : enroll

2

a

: to write, engrave, or print characters upon

b

: to autograph or address (a book) as a gift

3

: to dedicate to someone

4

: to draw within a figure so as to touch in as many places as possible

a regular polygon inscribed in a circle

5

British : to register the name of the holder of (a security)

inscriber noun

Synonyms

• engrave
• etch
• grave
• incise
• insculp [archaic]

Examples of inscribe in a Sentence

They inscribed the monument with the soldiers' names.

The book was inscribed with the author's signature.

Recent Examples on the Web

In early December, UNESCO inscribed a brand new batch of international traditions to its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. —Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Dec. 2024

The bullets in the Ziploc bag reportedly had words inscribed on them, similar to the bullet casings found at the scene of the shooting last week. —Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024

Beau Lake is now offering a personalization process, much as a boat owner would name a boat, with the ability to name the board and have the firm inscribe it with custom chrome lettering. —Jaclyn Trop, Robb Report, 11 Dec. 2024

Even as the weapon appeared to jam, the shooter remained composed, standing over Thompson and firing again before walking away, leaving behind bullet casings inscribed with messages, multiple news outlets reported. —Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin inscribere, from in- + scribere to write — more at scribe

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

inscribe

verb

in·​scribe in-ˈskrīb 

inscribed; inscribing

1

a

: to write, engrave, or print as a lasting record

inscribe a name on a monument

b

: to enter on a list : enroll

2

: to write, engrave, or print something on or in

inscribe a locket

3

: to dedicate to someone

inscribe a poem

4

: to draw within a figure so as to touch in as many places as possible

a hexagon inscribed in a circle

inscriber noun

Legal Definition

inscribe

transitive verb

in·​scribe

inscribed; inscribing

: to set down in writing (as the terms of a mortgage) to create a lasting public record

inscription noun