noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/sə(b)ˈpiː.nə/
General-American:/səˈpi.nə/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -iːnə
CMU ARPABET:S AH0 P IY1 N AH0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A writ (“written order”) requiring someone to appear in court, or at a deposition or some other legal proceeding, as a witness to give testimony (a subpoena ad testificandum) or to produce evidence (subpoena duces tecum), in default of which the person may be punished.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: witness summons, order to attend court, citation, invocation, subpoena, summons, writ of summons
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A writ requiring a defendant to appear in court to answer a plaintiff's claim (a subpoena ad respondendum); in England and Wales, and Ireland, this writ was formerly issued by the Court of Chancery at the plaintiff's request to commence a suit, but the procedure was abolished in 1852.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
Topics: law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A motive or thing which can compel or demand something, or summon someone.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To summon (someone) with a subpoena (noun sense 1) to appear in court, or at a deposition or some other legal proceeding, as a witness to give testimony or to produce evidence; to serve a subpoena on (someone).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Topics: law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court, or at a deposition or some other legal proceeding.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Topics: law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To compel or summon (someone or something); to demand.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
a writ issued by court authority to compel the attendance of a witness at a judicial proceeding; disobedience may be punishable as a contempt of court
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: subpoena ad testificandum
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: writ, judicial writ
8
verb
Meaning 8
serve or summon with a subpoena
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
The witness and her records were subpoenaed
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: serve, process, swear out
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Italic *supo Medieval Latin sub Proto-Indo-European *kwey- Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *kwoynéh2 Ancient Greek ποινή (poinḗ)bor. Medieval Latin poena Middle English sub pena English subpoena The noun sense is derived from Late Middle English sub pena (“writ requiring defendant to appear in the Court of Chancery to answer a plaintiff’s claim or to be punished; writ requiring witness to appear in court”), from Latin sub (“under”) + poena (“penalty, punishment”), from the opening words of the writ. The verb sense is derived from the noun one.
Across languages
Translations
75 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
اِسْتِدْعَاء
(istidʕāʔ)
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Armenian:
ծանուցագիր
(canucʻagir)
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Azerbaijani:
çağırış
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Belarusian:
паве́стка
(pavjéstka)
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Belarusian:
по́зва
(pózva)
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Bulgarian:
повиква́телна
(povikvátelna)
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Bulgarian:
призо́вка
(prizóvka)
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Catalan:
citació
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Catalan:
citació a dia cert
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Chinese Mandarin:
傳票 /传票
(chuánpiào)
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Chinese Mandarin:
傳訊 /传讯
(chuánxùn)
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Czech:
předvolání k soudu
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Czech:
soudní obsílka
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Danish:
stævning
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Dutch:
dagvaarding
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Estonian:
kohtukutse
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Faroese:
stevning
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Finnish:
haaste
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Finnish:
haaste todistajaksi
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
French:
citation
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
German:
Auskunftsanordnung
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
German:
Vorladung
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
German:
Zwangsvorladung
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Greek:
κλήση
(klísi)
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Greek:
κλήτευση
(klítefsi)
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Hungarian:
beidézés
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Hungarian:
idézés
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Interlingua:
citation
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Italian:
citazione
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Italian:
convocazione
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Japanese:
召喚
(shōkan)
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Japanese:
召喚状
(shōkanjō)
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Korean:
소환
(sohwan)
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Korean:
소환장
(sohwanjang)
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Malay:
sepina
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Norwegian Bokmål:
stevning
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Polish:
wezwanie do sądu
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Portuguese:
citação
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Portuguese:
intimação
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Romanian:
citație
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Russian:
пове́стка
(povéstka)
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Russian:
вы́зов в суд
(výzov v sud)
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Slovak:
predvolanie na súd
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Spanish:
citación
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Spanish:
requerimiento
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Spanish:
citatorio
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Spanish:
citatoria
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Swedish:
stämning
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Turkish:
celp kâğıdı
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Turkish:
celpname
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Turkish:
mahkeme çağrısı
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Ukrainian:
пові́стка
(povístka)
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Vietnamese:
trát tòa
— writ requiring someone to appear in court or at some other legal proceeding as a witness
Finnish:
haaste vastata vaatimukseen
— writ requiring a defendant to appear in court to answer a plaintiff’s claim
Finnish:
haaste
— thing which can compel or demand something, or summon someone
Bulgarian:
призовавам
(prizovavam)
— to summon (someone) with a subpoena; to require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court or some other legal proceeding
Chinese Mandarin:
傳訊 /传讯
(chuánxùn)
— to summon (someone) with a subpoena; to require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court or some other legal proceeding
Dutch:
dagvaarden
— to summon (someone) with a subpoena; to require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court or some other legal proceeding
Finnish:
haastaa
— to summon (someone) with a subpoena; to require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court or some other legal proceeding
Finnish:
haastaa todistajaksi
— to summon (someone) with a subpoena; to require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court or some other legal proceeding
German:
zwangsvorladen
— to summon (someone) with a subpoena; to require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court or some other legal proceeding
Greek:
καλώ μάρτυρα
(kaló mártyra)
— to summon (someone) with a subpoena; to require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court or some other legal proceeding
Greek:
κλητεύω μάρτυρα
(klitévo mártyra)
— to summon (someone) with a subpoena; to require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court or some other legal proceeding
Hungarian:
beidéz
— to summon (someone) with a subpoena; to require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court or some other legal proceeding
Hungarian:
idéz
— to summon (someone) with a subpoena; to require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court or some other legal proceeding
Italian:
citare
— to summon (someone) with a subpoena; to require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court or some other legal proceeding
Latin:
convador
— to summon (someone) with a subpoena; to require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court or some other legal proceeding
Norwegian:
innstevne
— to summon (someone) with a subpoena; to require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court or some other legal proceeding
Portuguese:
citar
— to summon (someone) with a subpoena; to require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court or some other legal proceeding
Romanian:
cita
— to summon (someone) with a subpoena; to require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court or some other legal proceeding
Russian:
вы́звать в суд пове́сткой
(výzvatʹ v sud povéstkoj)
— to summon (someone) with a subpoena; to require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court or some other legal proceeding
Slovak:
predvolať na súd (niekoho)
— to summon (someone) with a subpoena; to require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court or some other legal proceeding
Spanish:
citar
— to summon (someone) with a subpoena; to require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court or some other legal proceeding
Spanish:
citar a declarar
— to summon (someone) with a subpoena; to require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court or some other legal proceeding
Spanish:
convocar
— to summon (someone) with a subpoena; to require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court or some other legal proceeding
