oversubscribe

American  

[oh-ver-suhb-skrahyb] / ˌoʊ vər səbˈskraɪb /

verb (used with object)

oversubscribed, oversubscribing

1. to subscribe for more of than is available, expected, or required.

   The charity drive was oversubscribed by several thousand dollars.

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oversubscribe British  

/ ˌəʊvəsəbˈskraɪb /

verb

1. (tr; often passive) to subscribe or apply for in excess of available supply

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Other Word Forms

• oversubscriber
  noun
• oversubscription
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of oversubscribe

First recorded in 1890–95; over- + subscribe

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

oversubscribe oversubscribed oversubscribing

The Breeders Cup Juvenile did not oversubscribe and Anneau D’Or is in the field.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2019

On this date in 1917, Pima County became the first county in the nation to oversubscribe its Liberty Bond allotment.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 10, 2018

“Every year, in a matter of hours, we oversubscribe beyond the entire 85,000 slots plus,” Issa said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2016

Cocoa and rubber farmers, laborers, houseboys, clerks and merchants lined up by the hundreds to oversubscribe the issue, many signing with crosses and Xs.

From Time Magazine Archive

Equity capital flowed in for the asking as eager Australian investors flocked to oversubscribe new stock issues.

From Time Magazine Archive

The listing, one of the most anticipated this year, attracted robust demand last week with the IPO being 22 times oversubscribed.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

The IPO, which was more than five times oversubscribed, valued the National Stock Exchange of India at around $46 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Chief Facilities Executive Krisztina Tokes could offer no such assurance, advising the board that state earthquake mitigation funds are underfunded and oversubscribed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

Finally, the strategists said “liquidity concerns look manageable,” as recent IPOs have been considerably oversubscribed and the funding needs of hyperscalers have been continuously met.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026

The schools with good test scores and high graduation rates would be rabidly oversubscribed, making it impossible to satisfy every student’s request.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

What they think of this plan sturdy Belgians showed last week by oversubscribing a one-billion-franc internal loan offered by the Government to the public at 5%.

From Time Magazine Archive

They were asked in addition to buy government bonds to a total of fourteen billions, and they responded by oversubscribing this amount by nearly five billions.

From Woodrow Wilson and the World War A Chronicle of Our Own Times. by Charles Seymour

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