# submit

/səbˈmɪt/ (US) · /səbmˈɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/submit
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to hand in a document

verb · CEFR B2 · Academic

to give a document, plan, or piece of work to someone so they can consider it or mark it.

For teachers: to present or tender a document, proposal, or application for formal consideration or judgment.

- You must submit your application before the end of the month.
- The researchers were required to submit their final report to the ethics committee before the clinical trials could proceed to the next phase.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'to'.

### 2. to yield to authority

verb · CEFR B2

to accept that someone else has power over you and stop resisting them.

For teachers: to yield to the will or authority of another; to cease resistance.

- The rebels finally agreed to submit to the government's authority.
- After weeks of intense diplomatic pressure, the smaller nation was forced to submit to the terms of the treaty.

Usage: Intransitive when meaning to give up; transitive when 'submitting oneself'.

### 3. to suggest an opinion

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to suggest something in a polite or formal way, especially in a court of law.

For teachers: to offer as an opinion or proposition for consideration, typically in a formal or legal context.

- I submit that the evidence does not support the witness's story.
- Counsel for the defence submitted that the defendant had acted under extreme duress and should therefore be acquitted of all charges.

Usage: Often followed by a 'that' clause.

### 4. to undergo a process

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to allow yourself to be part of a test or a difficult process.

For teachers: to subject oneself or something to a particular process, treatment, or condition.

- He had to submit himself to a series of medical tests.
- The prototype must submit to rigorous stress testing under extreme temperatures before it can be approved for mass production.

Usage: Usually takes a reflexive pronoun and the preposition 'to'.

## Examples

- Please submit your application by Friday.
- Students must submit their final essays through the online portal before the midnight deadline to avoid a late penalty.
- While the defendant chose to submit to the court's jurisdiction, his legal team continued to argue that the initial evidence was gathered through improper channels.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.