transcribe

verb

tran·​scribe tran(t)-ˈskrīb 

transcribed; transcribing

transitive verb

1

a

: to make a written copy of

b

: to make a copy of (dictated or recorded matter) in longhand or on a machine (such as a typewriter)

c

: to paraphrase or summarize in writing

d

: write down, record

2

a

: to represent (speech sounds) by means of phonetic symbols

b

: translate sense 1a

c

: to transfer (data) from one recording form to another

d

: to record (as on magnetic tape) for later broadcast

3

: to make a musical transcription of

4

: to cause (DNA or RNA) to undergo genetic transcription

transcriber noun

Examples of transcribe in a Sentence

He transcribed all of his great-grandfather's letters.

The senator's speech was transcribed.

a Mozart string quartet transcribed for piano

a system that allows linguists to transcribe the sounds of any language

Recent Examples on the Web

Heiberg began photographing and transcribing them, but the book went missing after World War I. More than ninety years after Heiberg’s discovery, the book resurfaced in an auction. —Danny Robb, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2024

In introducing the Mac mini on Tuesday, product manager Shloka Kini teased a forthcoming update to Apple’s Final Cut Pro video editing app includes the ability to automatically transcribe audio into captions. —Steven Aquino, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024

During the 120 days following a parole hearing, the audio recording of the hearing will be transcribed and the decision will be subject to review by the Board's legal office. —Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024

The most actionable first-wave Apple Intelligence features are Clean Up and the real-time transcribing capabilities in the Phone, Notes, and Voice Memo apps. —Julian Chokkattu, WIRED, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin transcribere, from trans- + scribere to write — more at scribe

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

transcribe

verb

tran·​scribe tran(t)s-ˈkrīb 

transcribed; transcribing

1

a

: to make a written copy of

b

: to make a copy of (dictated or recorded matter) by hand or on a machine (as a typewriter)

2

: to represent speech sounds with phonetic symbols

transcriber noun

Medical Definition

transcribe

transitive verb

tran·​scribe tran(t)s-ˈkrīb 

transcribed; transcribing

: to cause (as DNA) to undergo genetic transcription