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

In its open beta last year, Moto AI could summarize your notifications with the Catch Me Up feature, while the Pay Attention feature could transcribe meetings. —Iyaz Akhtar, PC Magazine, 24 Apr. 2025

In early August 2019, Bloomberg News published a story revealing how Facebook had contracted an external company to transcribe audio conversations conducted through the Facebook Messenger app. —New Atlas, 24 Apr. 2025

Real-world examples: Email filtering and sorting, payroll processing, inventory reordering based on stock levels, scanning resumes for keywords, transcribing meeting notes from audio recordings, etc. 2. —Brent Dykes, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025

The sheets seem to be what Cal transcribed from the tablet during his last day alive: transcripts of the scientific mission and Billy’s corresponding orders, information on survivors and their location — lots of good, juicy stuff. —Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 4 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