subpoena
suh-PEE-nuh
/səˈpiː.nə/
A writ ordering a person to attend a court or produce documents under penalty for failure.
A subpoena is a mandatory judicial order; ignoring it carries immediate penalties like contempt of court.
The story behind the word. In Latin, 'sub' means 'under' and 'poena' means 'penalty' (the root of penalty and punish). English writs historically began with the words 'sub poena' to warn recipients that severe punishment awaited if they failed to appear in court.
Word relationships
- court order: Court order is any directive from a judge, whereas subpoena specifically commands appearance or production of evidence under penalty.
- writ: Writ is any formal written order, while subpoena is specifically a writ backed by express penalty.
- invitation: An invitation is voluntary, whereas a subpoena is legally mandatory.
Commonly confused with
- summons: A summons notifies a party they are being sued, while a subpoena orders a person to testify or bring documents.
Word family
- subpoenaed (verb): Ordered to appear or produce documents by subpoena.
Collocations
- issue a subpoena
- serve a subpoena
- subpoena duces tecum
- comply with a subpoena
Example sentences
- "The congressional committee issued a subpoena demanding all internal emails from the company's chief executive officer." Corporate investigation
Memory hook
SUB-POENA: SUBmit to court or face the POENA (penalty)! Under penalty of law.
When not to use
Do not confuse with a 'summons', which initiates a lawsuit against a defendant; a subpoena compels evidence or witness testimony.
Fun facts
- In classical Latin, 'poena' meant penalty or punishment, which gives us words like pain, penal, penalty, and subpoena.
Related words
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