inscription

[ in-skrip-shuhn ]

/ ɪnˈskrɪp ʃən /

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See synonyms for: inscription / inscriptions on Thesaurus.com

noun

something inscribed.

a historical, religious, or other record cut, impressed, painted, or written on stone, brick, metal, or other hard surface.

a brief, usually informal dedication, as of a book or a work of art.

a note, as a dedication, that is written and signed by hand in a book.

the act of inscribing.

Pharmacology. the part of a prescription indicating the drugs and the amounts to be mixed.

British.

an issue of securities or stocks.
a block of shares in a stock, as bought or sold by one person.

Also called legend. Numismatics. the lettering in the field of a coin, medal, etc.

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Origin of inscription

1350–1400; Middle English inscripcio(u)n<Latin inscrīptiōn- (stem of inscrīptiō), equivalent to inscrīpt(us) (past participle of inscrībere to inscribe) + -iōn--ion

OTHER WORDS FROM inscription

in·scrip·tion·al, adjectivein·scrip·tion·less, adjectivepre·in·scrip·tion, nounsu·per·in·scrip·tion, noun

Words nearby inscription

insanity, insatiable, insatiate, inscape, inscribe, inscription, inscriptive, inscroll, inscrutable, insculp, inseam

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use inscription in a sentence

The “evidence” took the form of inscriptions and Norse artifacts discovered in areas of Scandinavian settlement.
No, the Vikings Did Not Discover America. Here's Why That Myth is Problematic|Gordon Campbell|June 29, 2021|Time
Hawass’s team had found inscriptions that referred to Neit as the daughter of a pharaoh.
In the tombs of Saqqara, new discoveries are rewriting ancient Egypt’s history|Sudarsan Raghavan|April 22, 2021|Washington Post
The most significant find came in January, when archaeologists came upon inscriptions showing that the temple they were unearthing belonged to a previously unknown ancient queen.
In the tombs of Saqqara, new discoveries are rewriting ancient Egypt’s history|Sudarsan Raghavan|April 22, 2021|Washington Post
The inscriptions on the keys are laser-etched, so they won’t fade, and the aluminum design ensures longevity.
Best mechanical keyboard: Game, code, type, and work smoother and faster|PopSci Commerce Team|February 4, 2021|Popular-Science

The top of the box has a flora-and-bird motif with the inspirational inscription, “We are talking about a story of love.”
Sewing kits perfect for home, travel, and gift-giving|PopSci Commerce Team|October 1, 2020|Popular-Science
Then he read the golden inscription and saw that she was a princess.
In New Brothers Grimm 'Snow White', The Prince Doesn't Save Her|The Brothers Grimm|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And then, the screen cut to Rivers, posing and looking great, and one final inscription: "Joan Rivers, 1933-2014."
Melissa Rivers: Life After Joan—A Funny, Moving Celebration on a Special 'Fashion Police'|Tim Teeman|September 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Karla will use that lighter—and that inscription—in the years to come.
Iran’s Top Spy Is the Modern-Day Karla, John Le Carré’s Villainous Mastermind|Michael Weiss|July 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The inscription will identify the period and site of the tomb.
Egyptian Tomb-Robbing Market Explodes on eBay|Bel Trew|May 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The inscription from Nader reads, “Grover, for the imagination.”
Ralph Nader and Grover Norquist: Washington’s Most Unlikely Bromance|Eleanor Clift|May 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Every monumental inscription should be in Latin; for that being a dead language, it will always live.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
A stop-knob bearing the inscription, "Noli me tangere" (touch me not), was attached to the console.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
Inscription copied, Nov. 21, 1833, from a tombstone to a fisherman in Bathford churchyard.
Notes and Queries, Number 177, March 19, 1853|Various
The door was white, with mouldings of gold, and the inscription above it was in golden characters.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens
The inscription of the Rupuath Rock has the words: "Two hundred and fifty years have elapsed since the departure of the teacher."
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford

British Dictionary definitions for inscription

inscription

/ (ɪnˈskrɪpʃən) /

noun

something inscribed, esp words carved or engraved on a coin, tomb, etc

a signature or brief dedication in a book or on a work of art

the act of inscribing

philosophy linguistics an element of written language, esp a sentenceCompare utterance 1 (def. 3)

Derived forms of inscription

inscriptional or inscriptive, adjectiveinscriptively, adverb

Word Origin for inscription

C14: from Latin inscriptiō a writing upon, from inscrībere to write upon, from in- ² + scrībere to write

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

inscription

Origin of inscription

OTHER WORDS FROM inscription

Words nearby inscription

Words related to inscription

How to use inscription in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for inscription

Derived forms of inscription

Word Origin for inscription