subscription

noun

sub·​scrip·​tion səb-ˈskrip-shən 

plural subscriptions

1

a

: the act of signing one's name (as in attesting or witnessing a document)

b

: the acceptance (as of ecclesiastical articles of faith) attested by the signing of one's name

2

: something that is subscribed: such as

a

: an autograph signature

also : a paper to which a signature is attached

b

: a sum subscribed or pledged

3

: an arrangement for providing, receiving, or making use of something of a continuing or periodic nature especially on a prepayment plan: such as

a

: a purchase by prepayment for a certain number of regular deliveries of something (such as issues of a periodical) or for a certain period of access to or use of something (such as an online service)

b

: application to purchase securities of a new issue

c

: a method of offering or presenting a series of public performances

d

British : membership dues

Examples of subscription in a Sentence

I'm going to renew my subscription.

You won't find this magazine at newsstands. It's sold only by subscription.

Recent Examples on the Web

Instacart has a new competitor in Amazon Prime with the launch of its new grocery delivery subscription service. —Jasmine Browley, Essence, 25 Apr. 2024

In 2023, Alphabet’s subscription services — including YouTube Premium and YouTube TV — generated $15 billion in revenue for 2023. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 25 Apr. 2024

The grocery delivery subscription is $9.99 a month for Amazon Prime members to get their orders from Whole Foods and the others. —Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2024

This approach puts Meta on a different path than OpenAI, which has, so far, resisted advertising as a business model in favor of subscriptions and a nascent enterprise focus. —Alex Heath, The Verge, 24 Apr. 2024

The subscription service will be available to customers in more than 3,500 cities and towns nationwide, the company said. —Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024

Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. —Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 21 Apr. 2024

Ad-free subscriptions are $15.99 a month, which includes the additional ability to download up to 30 titles to watch on the go. —USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024

Netflix began cracking down on users who share log-in credentials one year ago, in an effort to get more viewers to pay for individual subscriptions. —Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English subscripcion mark at the end of a document, concluding formula, from Anglo-French, from Latin subscription-, subscriptio, from subscribere

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing subscription

• subscription TV

Kids Definition

subscription

noun

sub·​scrip·​tion səb-ˈskrip-shən 

1

: an act or instance of subscribing

2

: something (as a document containing a signature) that is subscribed

3

: an arrangement for providing, receiving, or making use of something of a continuing or periodic nature on a prepayment plan

especially : a purchase of a certain number of future issues (as of a magazine)

Medical Definition

subscription

noun

sub·​scrip·​tion səb-ˈskrip-shən 

: a part of a prescription that contains directions to the pharmacist

Legal Definition

subscription

noun

sub·​scrip·​tion səb-ˈskrip-shən 

1

: the act of signing one's name (as in attesting or witnessing a document)

2

: something that is subscribed

specifically : a sum subscribed or pledged

a charitable subscription

3

: an agreement to purchase securities (as stocks) of a new issue and especially of a prospective corporation compare warrant sense 3b