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subscribe

  • /səbˈskɹaɪb/ US

Rhymes with -aɪb

Where it comes from

From Middle English subscriben, subskryben, from Latin subscrībere (“write beneath”). By surface analysis, sub- + scribe. Compare its native English equivalent underwrite.

verb subscribes · subscribing · subscribed

  1. To write (one’s name) at the bottom of a document; to sign (one's name). [They] subscribed their names under them.
  2. transitive To sign; to mark with one's signature as a token of consent or attestation. Parties subscribe a covenant or contract; a man subscribes a bond.
  3. ergative To sign up to have copies of a publication, such as a newspaper or a magazine, delivered for a period of time. Would you like to subscribe or subscribe a friend to our new magazine, Lexicography Illustrated?
  4. To pay for the provision of a service, such as Internet access, a cell phone plan, or a streaming service. I subscribed to this streaming service years ago.
  5. To believe or agree with a theory or an idea [with to]. I don’t subscribe to that theory.
  6. To pay money to be a member of an organization.
  7. intransitive To contribute or promise to contribute money to a common fund. […] under no circumstances could I ever again be nominated for any public office, as no corporation would subscribe to a campaign fund if I was on the ticket, and that they would subscribe most heavily to beat me;
  8. transitive To promise to give, by writing one's name with the amount. Each man subscribed ten dollars.
  9. To agree to buy shares in a company. The capital which had been subscribed to this bank, at two different subscriptions, amounted to one hundred and sixty thousand pounds, of which eighty per cent only was paid up.
  10. obsolete To sign away; to yield; to surrender. Admit no other way to save his life , (As I subscribe not that, nor any other, But in the loss of question) […]
  11. obsolete To yield; to admit to being inferior or in the wrong.
  12. obsolete, transitive To declare over one's signature; to publish. I will subscribe him a coward.
  13. intransitive To indicate interest in the communications made by a person or organization. Please like this video, and subscribe to my YouTube channel.
  14. intransitive To register for notifications about an event or similar. If you subscribe to the MouseClick event, your application can react to the user clicking the mouse.

Similar: sign up, underwrite

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: sign, take, support, stand, subscribe to, subscription, sign-up, signatory, registration, register, listing, enroll, recordation, publish, customer, inclusion

verb

Similar: sign up, underwrite

Translations

Every language

verb to sign as token of consent or attestation

中文簽署 /签署 qiānshǔ
Românăsubscrie
Русскийподпи́сывать podpísyvatʹ, подписа́ть podpisátʹ

verb to sign up to receive a publication

Españolsuscribirse, subscribirse
한국어구독하다 gudokhada
日本語購読する kōdoku suru
中文訂閱 /订阅 dìngyuè, 訂購 /订购 dìnggòu
Portuguêsassinar
Françaisabonner, s'abonner, souscrire
Deutschabonnieren
Italianoabbonarsi
Românăabona
Русскийподпи́сываться podpísyvatʹsja, подписа́ться podpisátʹsja, выпи́сывать vypísyvatʹ, вы́писать výpisatʹ
Tiếng Việtđăng kí
العربيةاِشْتَرَكَ ištaraka
עבריתנִמְנָה nimná

verb to pay for the provision of a service

Españolabonar
中文訂閱 /订阅 dìngyuè
Portuguêsassinar
Tiếng Việtđăng kí, thuê bao

verb to believe or agree with an idea

Españolsuscribir, subscribir
中文同意 tóngyì
Portuguêsaderir apoiar concordar

verb to pay money to be a member of an organization

Tiếng Việtđăng kí

verb to contribute or promise to contribute

中文認購 /认购 rèngòu, 認捐 /认捐 rènjuān
Românăsubscrie
Русскийзапи́сываться zapísyvatʹsja, записа́ться zapisátʹsja

verb to agree to buy shares in a company

中文認購 /认购 rèngòu

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Cite this
MLA

"subscribe." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/subscribe. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

APA

subscribe. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/subscribe

Chicago

"subscribe." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 5, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/subscribe.

BibTeX
@misc{subscribe_2026,
  title = {subscribe},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/subscribe},
  urldate = {2026-11-05}
}