Inscribed

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɪnˈskɹaɪbd/

Definitions

1. Marked, carved, or written permanently on a surface such as stone, metal, or paper ; formally recorded or entered in a list, book, or document for official or ceremonial purposes
2. Carved or engraved on a material so that letters, symbols, or designs are permanently visible ; entered in an official record or document as a formal recognition or acknowledgement
3. Written or engraved clearly and durably on an object ; documented or registered in a list, book, or archive for legal or commemorative reasons

Etymology: "Inscribed" is the past form of "inscribe," which English borrowed from Latin "inscribere," built from "in-" meaning "upon" and "scribere," meaning "to write." The Latin verb was a literal act of marking a surface, and that physical sense is still present in the word: to inscribe something is to cut or write letters into stone, metal, or another solid object so they last. The shift to paper and records came naturally from the same idea. Once a name is written into a list, book, or archive, it is fixed in place in much the way it would be carved into a monument, so the word came to cover registering or recording something formally as well. A dedication inscribed in a book and a name inscribed on a memorial share the same core meaning of writing that is meant to endure.

Synonyms: engraved, carved, etched, imprinted, marked

Antonyms: obliterated, erased, removed, deleted