transcribe

verb

tran·​scribe tran(t)-ˈskrīb How to pronounce transcribe (audio)
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
2
a
: to represent (speech sounds) by means of phonetic symbols
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Activating the Pay Attention feature causes a Moto device to begin recording audio, which can be transcribed and summarized for future reference. Iyaz Akhtar, PCMAG, 27 Nov. 2024 That conversation, edited for length and clarity, has been transcribed below. Joan Meiners, The Arizona Republic, 26 Nov. 2024 Natalie Cressman had transcribed the piece for her Manhattan School of Music senior recital in 2012. Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024 Parker recorded interviews with 12 British men and women who had been convicted of murder, then transcribed and edited their words to create a series of extraordinary first-person narratives. The Week Us, theweek, 12 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for transcribe 

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of transcribe was in 1552

Cite this Entry

“Transcribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transcribe. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

transcribe

verb
tran·​scribe tran(t)s-ˈkrīb How to pronounce transcribe (audio)
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 How to pronounce transcribe (audio)
transcribed; transcribing
: to cause (as DNA) to undergo genetic transcription

More from Merriam-Webster on transcribe

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