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

Over the years, more than 11,000 inscriptions have been found across the city, ranging from political commentary and love declarations to sporting slogans, jokes, and poems. —Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 9 Mar. 2026

About 200 inscriptions were recorded by experts over the following centuries, but many others were too faint to read — until now. —Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026

For nearly 230 years, roughly 100 inscriptions carved into a 90-foot-long passageway in Pompeii’s theater district were too faint for the human eye to read. —Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 9 Mar. 2026

Famine refuses to choose which temporality governs, because its very structure works across multiple times at once, just as the catastrophe itself persists across event, acknowledgment, and ongoing material inscription. —Anel Rakhimzhanova, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026

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