Meanings
present singular third person inscribes · participle present inscribing · participle past inscribed · past inscribed
- transitiveTo write or cut (words) onto (something, especially a hard surface, or a book to be given to another person); to engrave.
I inscribed my name into the book.
2 more examples
I inscribed the book with a message for Kate.
This coheres with the pattern of Scripture, which inscribes her story among that of others in the company of Jesus.
2000 June 17, Elizabeth A. Johnson, “Mary of Nazareth: Friend of God and Prophet”, in America, volume 182, number 21 - transitiveTo dedicate to someone.
- geometryTo draw a circle, sphere, etc. inside a polygon, polyhedron, etc. and tangent to all its sides.
Antonyms: escribe
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo draw a circle, sphere, etc. inside a polygon, polyhedron, etc. and tangent to all its sides.
More synonyms by meaning
verbconvert ordinary language into code
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinīnscrībō
- Englishinscribe
Borrowed from Latin īnscrībō, from in- (“upon”) and scrībō (“to write”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian надписвам, вписвам
- надписвам (nadpisvam)to write or cut words onto something
- вписвам (vpisvam)to draw a circle, sphere
Catalan inscriure, inscriure
- inscriureto write or cut words onto something
- inscriureto draw a circle, sphere
Chinese Mandarin 刻, 铭刻
- 刻 (kè)to write or cut words onto something
- 铭刻 (míngkè)to write or cut words onto something
Czech vepsat, vepsat
- vepsatto write or cut words onto something
- vepsatto draw a circle, sphere
Finnish kaivertaa
- kaivertaato write or cut words onto something
French graver
- graverto write or cut words onto something
German beschriften
- beschriftento write or cut words onto something
Greek επιγράφω, εγγράφω
- επιγράφω (epigráfo)to write or cut words onto something
- εγγράφω (engráfo)to draw a circle, sphere
Romanian inscripționa, înscrie
- inscripționato write or cut words onto something
- înscrieto write or cut words onto something
- gravato write or cut words onto something
- înscrieto draw a circle, sphere
Russian начертать, впи́сывать
- начертать (načertatʹ)to write or cut words onto something
- впи́сывать (vpísyvatʹ)to draw a circle, sphere
- вписа́ть (vpisátʹ)to draw a circle, sphere
Spanish inscribir, inscribir
- inscribirto write or cut words onto something
- inscribirtransitive: to enroll
Turkish yazmak, kazımak
- yazmakto write or cut words onto something
- kazımakto write or cut words onto something
- kakmakto write or cut words onto something
Welsh llythrennu
- llythrennuto write or cut words onto something
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with inscribe
Cite this entry
inscribe. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inscribe
“inscribe.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inscribe. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “inscribe,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inscribe.
Source: inscribe on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.