inscribe
in-SKRYB
/ɪnˈskraɪb/
To write or carve words or symbols on a surface, especially as a formal or permanent record.
Usually implies a sense of permanence or ceremony, such as on a monument, trophy, or the inside of a book.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'inscribere', meaning 'to write upon'. It captures the physical act of pressing or cutting 'into' a material to leave a lasting mark.
Word relationships
- engrave: Engrave specifically implies cutting into a hard surface like metal or stone, while inscribe can also mean writing with ink.
- etch: Etching usually involves acid or chemicals to create a design, whereas inscribe is a more general term for marking.
- erase: To erase is to remove marks, while to inscribe is to create them permanently.
Commonly confused with
- scribe: A scribe is the person who writes; to inscribe is the action of marking the surface.
Word family
- inscription (noun): words inscribed, as on a monument or in a book.
Collocations
- inscribe a name
- inscribe a circle
- deeply inscribed
- inscribe a book
Example sentences
- "The stonemason was hired to inscribe the names of the fallen soldiers on the granite memorial." Commemoration
- "She asked the jeweler to inscribe their wedding date inside the gold band." Gifts
Memory hook
Inscribe is to write INside or INto something. Write it into the stone.
When not to use
Don't use 'inscribe' for casual writing on a piece of paper; use 'write' or 'jot down'.
Fun facts
- In geometry, to 'inscribe' a figure means to draw it inside another figure so that they touch but do not intersect.
Also appears in
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