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 regulator seemed to nod to the disappointment of investors who lost money after buying into hot IPOs, saying listed companies whose IPOs were oversubscribed should consider “value-protection share buybacks” when necessary.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

"If the scheme is oversubscribed the larger payments should be scaled back so that smaller farmers can get a slice of the larger pot."

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 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

That was the size of the new listing on July 10 and given the issue was multiple times oversubscribed, international demand was not satisfied fully.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 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

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