subpoena

or sub·pe·na

[ suh-pee-nuh, suhb- ]
See synonyms for subpoena on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. 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.
  1. to serve with a subpoena.

Origin of subpoena

1
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin sub poenā “under penalty” (the first words of the writ)

Words Nearby subpoena

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use subpoena in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for subpoena

subpoena

/ (səbˈpiːnə, səˈpiːnə) /


noun
  1. 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
  1. (tr) to serve with a subpoena

Origin of subpoena

1
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.