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subpoena
or sub·pe·na
[ suh-pee-nuh, suhb- ]
/ səˈpi nə, səb- /
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noun
the usual writ for the summoning of witnesses or the submission of evidence, as records or documents, before a court or other deliberative body.
verb (used with object), sub·poe·naed, sub·poe·na·ing.
to serve with a subpoena.
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Origin of subpoena
1375–1425; late Middle English <Latin sub poenā under penalty (the first words of the writ)
OTHER WORDS FROM subpoena
un·sub·poe·naed, adjectiveWords nearby subpoena
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use subpoena in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for subpoena
subpoena
/ (səbˈpiːnə, səˈpiːnə) /
noun
a writ issued by a court of justice requiring a person to appear before the court at a specified time
verb -nas, -naing or -naed
(tr) to serve with a subpoena
Word Origin for subpoena
C15: from Latin: under penalty
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
Cultural definitions for subpoena
subpoena
[ (suh-pee-nuh) ]
An order of a court, a legislature, or a grand jury compelling a witness to be present at a trial or hearing, under penalty of fine or imprisonment. Subpoena is Latin for “under penalty.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.