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

The exact date of the inscription is still debated by historians. —Ella Feldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 July 2025

The Fed staff downplayed the inscription as a joke. —Christopher Rugaber, Fortune, 24 July 2025

The 1986 kit featured the first England shirts to have a tournament inscription woven in blue thread under the Three Lions crest. —Asif Burhan, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025

Several Aruban grottoes and rock-shelters yielded inscriptions and pictographs to the explorer, who considers their style as related to the pictography of the Orinoco and Apure countries. —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 18 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for inscription

• ascription
• conscription
• decryption
• description
• egyptian
• encryption
• prescription
• proscription
• subscription
• transcription
• circumscription
• misdescription

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