subpoena

or sub·pe·na

[suh-pee-nuh, suh b-]Law.

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.

Origin of subpoena

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin sub poenā under penalty (the first words of the writ)

Related formsun·sub·poe·naed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for subpoenaed

decree, mandate, warrant, summons, cite, summon, command

Examples from the Web for subpoenaed

Contemporary Examples of subpoenaed

Stetson was investigated, subpoenaed, and forced to testify in March 1924 about the source of her funds.
Star-Spangled Confederates: How Southern Sympathizers Decided Our National Anthem
Jefferson Morley
July 4, 2013
And that data, which is generally used for marketing purposes, could easily be subpoenaed as well.
Why Verizon Is Happy to Help Obama and the NSA Spy on Americans
Daniel Gross
June 6, 2013
News of an expanded investigation–with a subpoenaed paper trail–may be welcome.
LIBOR Scandal Widens to Include 7 Banks
Alex Klein
August 15, 2012
David McLaughlin reports that three banks–JP Morgan Chase, UBS, and the American arm of Barclays–have already been subpoenaed.
LIBOR Scandal Widens to Include 7 Banks
Alex Klein
August 15, 2012
Congress subpoenaed White House emails, “so I sent a grand total of two,” he said.
Chelsea and Bill Clinton on ‘Change Makers,’ the Youth Vote, and More
Eleanor Clift
April 23, 2012

Historical Examples of subpoenaed

Not a word was said to them as to why they had been subpoenaed.
Secret Armies
John L. Spivak
On the night Dieckhoff was subpoenaed he suddenly appeared to claim the trunks.
Secret Armies
John L. Spivak
You and Berrie and Mrs. McFarlane must get out of here before you are subpoenaed.
The Forester's Daughter
Hamlin Garland
I was afraid she might have been subpoenaed as a witness at the inquest, but we were both spared that.
The Day of Judgment
Joseph Hocking
I find that she was subpoenaed, but her illness makes it impossible for her to be there.
The Day of Judgment
Joseph Hocking

British Dictionary definitions for subpoenaed

subpoena

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

Word Origin and History for subpoenaed

subpoena

early 15c., sub pena, from Medieval Latin sub poena "under penalty," the first words of the writ commanding the presence of someone under penalty of failure, from Latin sub "under" (see sub-) + poena, ablative of poena "penalty" (see penal). The verb is attested from 1630s.

subpoenaed in Culture

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.”