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.

---

oversubscribe British  

/ ˌəʊvəsəbˈskraɪb /

verb

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

---

Other Word Forms

• oversubscriber
  noun
• oversubscription
  noun

Etymology

Origin of oversubscribe

First recorded in 1890–95; over- + subscribe

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

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

From Time Magazine Archive

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

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

Bovard said he couldn’t let Akil audit the oversubscribed course.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

After listing at $149, the ADRs closed 13% higher at $170 with its $26.5 billion share offering, the second-largest on record, more than seven times oversubscribed.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

Meanwhile, attention will be on South Korean chip titan SK hynix, whose US listing was more than seven times oversubscribed ahead of its planned debut on Friday.

From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026

A few had super-involved husbands; others had husbands like mine, who were oversubscribed and away a lot.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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