transcribe

play

verb tran·scribe \ tran(t)-ˈskrīb \

Definition of transcribe

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 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

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transcriber

noun

See transcribe defined for English-language learners

See transcribe defined for kids

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 of transcribe from the Web

Massachusetts Lottery Executive Director Michael Sweeney said officials were manually recording the names of the retailers that sold the winning ticket and transcribed it incorrectly.

— Bloomberg.com, "Massachusetts Hospital Worker Claims Record Lottery Jackpot," 24 Aug. 2017
Chances are there will be things worth knowing in those old scrolls and books that Jim Broadbent gives to Sam to transcribe.

— rena gross, Billboard, "'Game of Thrones': 9 Noteworthy Moments From Season 7, Episode 3, 'The Queen's Justice'," 31 July 2017
But on Tuesday, Chair Chuck Grassley and ranking member Dianne Feinstein released a joint statement announcing it had subpoenaed Manafort after rejecting his offer to give just one transcribed interview to Congress.

— jen kirby, Daily Intelligencer, "Senate Judiciary Committee Subpoenas Paul Manafort to Get Him to Testify Publicly This Week," 25 July 2017
Glisson said comments from Monday's hearing, as well as a similar hearing held Friday in Somerset, will be transcribed and provided to the federal government as part of Kentucky's proposal.

— deborah yetter, The Courier-Journal, "Speakers call Bevin Medicaid overhaul 'cruel' and 'immoral' at public hearing," 17 July 2017
What follows are excerpts from the conversation as transcribed and shared by the White House.

— alana abramson, PEOPLE.com, "Trump, in Off-Record Chat en Route to Paris, Says Don Jr. Is ‘a Good Boy’ and ‘Nothing Happened’ at Russia Meeting," 13 July 2017
A Spanish translator transcribed the videos for the Free Press today.

— tresa baldas, Detroit Free Press, "Miguel Cabrera blasts Venezuela over crisis: 'I'm tired of paying money' to protect my mom," 11 July 2017
Join the Adams Papers' first-ever transcribe-a-thon on July 15, or get involved in the Massachusetts Historical Society’s newly launched #JQA250 appeal.

— sara georgini, Smithsonian, "John Quincy Adams Kept a Diary and Didn’t Skimp on the Details," 11 July 2017
Emily and another one of our young staffers, Kalyn Kahler, volunteered to each take half the tape and transcribe the entire thing.

— peter king, The MMQB, "On NFL Relegation, Mail and the Story That Won’t Go Away," 21 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'transcribe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of transcribe

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1552

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TRANSCRIBE Defined for English Language Learners

transcribe

play

verb

Definition of transcribe for English Language Learners

: to make a written copy of (something)
: to write down (something that is spoken)
: to rewrite (a piece of music) so that it can be performed by a different instrument or voice

TRANSCRIBE Defined for Kids

transcribe

play

verb tran·scribe \ tran-ˈskrīb \

Definition of transcribe for Students

transcribed; transcribing

:to make a copy of

Word Root of transcribe

The Latin word scribere, meaning “to write,” and its form scriptus give us the roots scrib and script. Words from the Latin scribere have something to do with writing. To scribble is to write quickly or carelessly. To describe is to write or tell about something or someone. A manuscript is a document written by hand. To transcribe is to write down something spoken or copy something written.