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

On some of the stones found in the ruins, Arabic inscriptions, Byzantine iconography and Maltese crosses were found carved into the rock, according to the study. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2024

Similar posy inscriptions have been found on several 17th-century thimbles made in England and Wales. —Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Mar. 2024

Carved on it is the looping inscription of a name: Powell. —Cassidy Randall, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2024

The inscription says only with love, and both of their names. —Hazlitt, 7 Feb. 2024

The inscription will include the names of the pitcher and hitter, the pitch speed, and the outcome of the play. —Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 28 Jan. 2024

The Greater Antilles and the Yucatán Peninsula form one of the most cavernous regions in the world, and many of these grottos contain precolonial inscriptions. —Carina Del Valle Schorske, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024

The first plate also has an inscription with a dedication and signature including the names Isaac and Jonah. —Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024

The Uyghur Human Rights Project has called on the world’s governments to challenge China’s inscription of muqam and other Uyghur traditions on the I.C.H. lists. —Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 2 Mar. 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