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

All the while, sawn-off shotguns; love locks inscribed with names lashed to bridges, their keys slung into the river; and other reminders of modern life are topping up the Thames. —Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Apr. 2025

Rather than use conventional watch hands, his system featured rotating discs inscribed with the minutes and hours, which were hidden beneath the watch’s main dial. —Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2025

Attached to the Statue of Liberty is a bronze plaque inscribed with a poem familiar to many Americans. —Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2025

The centerpiece of the space is the National Monument to Freedom, a 155-foot-long, 43-foot-tall wall inscribed with 122,000 surnames of the 4.7 million formerly enslaved people recorded in the 1870 Census—the first census to list Black Americans entirely as free individuals. —Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 14 Mar. 2025

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

Rhymes for inscribe

• ascribe
• describe
• imbibe
• prescribe
• proscribe
• subscribe
• transcribe
• bribe
• gibe
• jibe
• tribe
• vibe

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