transcribe

verb

tran·​scribe tran(t)-ˈskrīb 

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

d

: write down, record

2

a

: to represent (speech sounds) by means of phonetic symbols

b

: translate sense 1a

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

As the iPhone begins to transcribe the voice message, that’s when the problem occurs. —David Phelan, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025

Darkside Stereogum transcribed the full remarks of Darkside’s Nicolas Jaar, who spoke about Mahmoud Khalil at the end of the band’s Saturday night show. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025

Given that its decoder is tasked with both transcription and token prediction, without precise alignment between audio and text during training, the model can prioritize generating fluent text over accurately transcribing the input. —Asmelash Teka Hadgu, Scientific American, 14 Apr. 2025

Deeply invested in völkisch memory, German scholars envisioned the Gospel writers as culling and refining oral tradition, much like the Brothers Grimm, who collected and transcribed folktales. —Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for transcribe

• ascribe
• describe
• imbibe
• inscribe
• prescribe
• proscribe
• subscribe
• bribe
• gibe
• jibe
• tribe
• vibe

Kids Definition

transcribe

verb

tran·​scribe tran(t)s-ˈkrīb 

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 

transcribed; transcribing

: to cause (as DNA) to undergo genetic transcription