transcribe

verb

tran·​scribe tran(t)-ˈskrīb How to pronounce transcribe (audio)
transcribed; transcribing

transitive verb

1
a
: to make a written copy of
b
: to make a copy of (dictated or recorded matter) in longhand or on a machine (such as a typewriter)
c
: to paraphrase or summarize in writing
2
a
: to represent (speech sounds) by means of phonetic symbols
c
: to transfer (data) from one recording form to another
d
: to record (as on magnetic tape) for later broadcast
3
: to make a musical transcription of
4
: to cause (DNA or RNA) to undergo genetic transcription
transcriber noun

Examples of transcribe in a Sentence

He transcribed all of his great-grandfather's letters. The senator's speech was transcribed. a Mozart string quartet transcribed for piano a system that allows linguists to transcribe the sounds of any language
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Board Meeting Preparation Video updates from founders (via platforms like Loom) can be automatically transcribed and summarized into 5-6 bullet points highlighting key financial metrics and product milestones. Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025 While some transcription services transcribe only English audio files, TranscribeMe works with a few additional languages: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. PCMAG, 18 Mar. 2025 The agency is still working to transcribe the entirety of the audio from voice recorders, Brice Banning, the NTSB investigator-in-charge, said. Kaanita Iyer, CNN, 2 Feb. 2025 These recordings, once transcribed, became rich raw material. Rhea Wessel, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for transcribe

Word History

Etymology

Latin transcribere, from trans- + scribere to write — more at scribe

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of transcribe was in 1552

Cite this Entry

“Transcribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transcribe. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

transcribe

verb
tran·​scribe tran(t)s-ˈkrīb How to pronounce transcribe (audio)
transcribed; transcribing
1
a
: to make a written copy of
b
: to make a copy of (dictated or recorded matter) by hand or on a machine (as a typewriter)
2
: to represent speech sounds with phonetic symbols
transcriber noun

Medical Definition

transcribe

transitive verb
tran·​scribe tran(t)s-ˈkrīb How to pronounce transcribe (audio)
transcribed; transcribing
: to cause (as DNA) to undergo genetic transcription

More from Merriam-Webster on transcribe

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