subpoena

1 of 2

noun

sub·​poe·​na sə-ˈpē-nə How to pronounce subpoena (audio)
nonstandard
-nē How to pronounce subpoena (audio)
: a writ commanding a person designated in it to appear in court under a penalty for failure

subpoena

2 of 2

verb

subpoenaed; subpoenaing

transitive verb

: to serve or summon with a writ of subpoena

Did you know?

The Origin of Subpoena

If you think you recognize the sub- in subpoena as the prefix meaning "under, beneath, below," you're on target. Subpoena arrived in Modern English (via the Middle English suppena) from the Latin sub poena, a combination of sub and poena, meaning "penalty." Other poena descendants in English include impunity ("freedom from penalty"), penal ("of or relating to punishment"), and even punish. There is also the verb subpoena, as in "Defense lawyers have subpoenaed several witnesses to the crime."

Examples of subpoena in a Sentence

Noun received a subpoena to appear as a witness for the prosecution Verb He was subpoenaed to testify in a hearing. The prosecutor subpoenaed the defendant's financial records.
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.
Noun
If there is an arrest, the employer should insist on seeing the warrant and any subpoena for documents. Pat Maio, Oc Register, 20 June 2025 The subpoena was later withdrawn, but the actor's legal team still seeks Lively's relevant communications with Swift as part of the discovery process. EW.com, 19 June 2025
Verb
But yeah, the company got subpoenaed and the matchmaker couldn’t talk to the client — that all felt accurate to her experience. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 20 June 2025 As for the rest, Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer parties demanded access to Taylor Swift’s private communications—despite having already subpoenaed and then withdrawn that subpoena. Dominic Patten, Deadline, 18 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for subpoena

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English suppena, from Latin sub poena under penalty

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1640, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of subpoena was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Subpoena.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subpoena. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

subpoena

1 of 2 noun
sub·​poe·​na sə-ˈpē-nə How to pronounce subpoena (audio)
: an order in writing commanding a person named in it to appear in court under a penalty for failure to appear

subpoena

2 of 2 verb
subpoenaed; subpoenaing
: to serve or summon with a subpoena
Etymology

Noun

from the Latin phrase sub poena "under penalty"; used as the beginning words of the order

Legal Definition

subpoena

1 of 2 noun
sub·​poe·​na
variants also subpena
sə-ˈpē-nə
: a writ commanding a designated person upon whom it has been served to appear (as in court or before a congressional committee) under a penalty (as a charge of contempt) for failure to comply compare summons

subpoena

2 of 2 transitive verb
variants also subpena
subpoenaed; subpoenaing
: to call before a court or hearing by a subpoena
the inspector is given the power to subpoena any relevant…witnessesHarvard Law Review
also : to command the production of (evidence) by a subpoena duces tecum
subpoenaed documents
Etymology

Noun

Latin sub poena under penalty

More from Merriam-Webster on subpoena

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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