inscription

noun

in·​scrip·​tion in-ˈskrip-shən 

1

a

: something that is inscribed

also : superscription

b

: epigraph sense 2

c

: the wording on a coin, medal, seal, or currency note

2

: the dedication of a book or work of art

3

a

: the act of inscribing

b

: the entering of a name on or as if on a list : enrollment

4

British

a

: the act of inscribing securities

b

inscriptions plural : inscribed securities

inscriptional

in-ˈskrip-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

Did you know?

With its prefix in-, meaning "in" or "on", it's not surprising that an inscription is either written on or engraved into a surface. Inscriptions in the ancient world were always chiseled into stone, as inscriptions still may be today. The principal monument of the Vietnam memorial in Washington, D.C., for instance, is a black wall on which are inscribed the names of all the Americans who died during the war—each name in full, row upon seemingly endless row. But an inscription may also be a dedication, such as the words "For my wife" all by themselves on a page near the beginning of a book.

Examples of inscription in a Sentence

The painting had an inscription that read, “To my loving wife.”

the inscription on a stone monument

Recent Examples on the Web

But the foil was too brittle and fragile to be unrolled, preventing researchers from investigating the inscription any further. —Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024

The inscription dates to between 100 and 300 C.E., during the Roman Empire’s occupation of France. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Dec. 2024

Ordinals and inscriptions emerged in the last two years as the first use case of this greater complexity, allowing Bitcoin users to transfer data on the chain. —Korok Ray, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024

The first stone, Tomlin said, would have borne the name of the deceased, followed by the name of the inscription’s dedicatee (or executor). —Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 29 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English inscripcioun, from Latin inscription-, inscriptio, from inscribere

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

inscription

noun

in·​scrip·​tion in-ˈskrip-shən 

: something that is inscribed

Medical Definition

inscription

noun

in·​scrip·​tion in-ˈskrip-shən 

: the part of a medical prescription that contains the names and quantities of the drugs to be compounded