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 of inscribe

• etch
• engrave
• carve

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

Envelopes inscribed with cursive text, luggage cart run-ups at London’s King’s Cross Station and sweeping landscape shots glimpsed through a train window are also likely to get the hearts of diehard fans pounding. —Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026

Scattered around the garden are various architectural fragments and inscribed stones of great antiquity. —Ben Lerner, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026

See historical objects and displays that shed light on an early road network still in use today, iron products made at pre-Revolutionary War iron works, and inscribed boundary stones marking estates owned by prominent Annapolitans. —Staff Report, Baltimore Sun, 18 Mar. 2026

An Anglo‑Saxon version stated that the charm should be inscribed on to a piece of wax and tied to the birthing woman’s right foot. —Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026

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