transcribe

verb

tran·​scribe tran(t)-ˈskrīb How to pronounce transcribe (audio)
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
2
a
: to represent (speech sounds) by means of phonetic symbols
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 Imagine meetings automatically transcribed, key takeaways instantly surfaced and knowledge shared effortlessly across teams. Miles Ward, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Regions called enhancers, for example, affect the probability that a gene will be transcribed. Philip Ball, Quanta Magazine, 14 Feb. 2024 At The Times, the messages were logged and transcribed by editorial assistants and shared with our editors, Ryan and me. Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024 In Northampton, Truth met Olive Gilbert, who would go on to transcribe Truth’s autobiography in the late 1840s. Cynthia Greenlee, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Feb. 2024 Meetings become goldmines when AI whips up instant takeaways, transcribes conversations and offers personalized recommendations, pointing out areas for improvement. Oleh Kurtianyk, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Greenfield received hundreds of threatening and harassing voicemail messages transcribed to 275 pages, Hollon said in a court filing. Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024 While spending 12 years alongside Mandela in a tiny cell on Robben Island, Maharaj transcribed Mandela’s autobiography before eventually smuggling it out of jail. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 11 Feb. 2024 The quotations included in the findings may not be verbatim, the investigators stated, but were transcribed as accurately as possible. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'transcribe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of transcribe was in 1552

Cite this Entry

“Transcribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transcribe. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

transcribe

verb
tran·​scribe tran(t)s-ˈkrīb How to pronounce transcribe (audio)
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 How to pronounce transcribe (audio)
transcribed; transcribing
: to cause (as DNA) to undergo genetic transcription

More from Merriam-Webster on transcribe

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