transcribe

1 of 2

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 computer)

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 (a radio broadcast) for later transmission

The old radio sitcoms were transcribed onto magnetic tape.

3

: to make a musical transcription of

4

: to cause (DNA or RNA) to undergo genetic transcription

transcriber noun

transcriber

2 of 2

noun

tran·​scrib·​er

-bə(r)

plural -s

: one that transcribes

specifically : a person engaged in writing braille for the blind using either a slate and stylus or a braillewriter

Examples of transcribe in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

The pilot program aimed to test AI tools which used natural language processing to record, transcribe, and summarize physician-patient encounters, reducing time spent on documentation and allowing physicians to focus more on patient care. — Harvard Business Review, 18 Aug. 2026

Every conversation can be transcribed, summarized, analyzed, and critiqued by AI. — Maria Colacurcio, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026

Platforms including Cluely, Interview Coder, and Final Round AI render answers on the candidate’s own display, outside the layer a screen share captures, while transcribing the interviewer’s audio as the conversation happens. — Kara Dennison, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

And the days are coming when AI is meaningfully involved in clinical care, beyond just transcribing our own words, and the follow-up recommendation deviates from the standard of care. — Frances Mei Hardin, STAT, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

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