English Reference

Word

submit

Phoneticssub·mit, stress on the second syllable

US/səbˈmɪt/

UK/səbmˈɪt/

Definitions

01to hand in a document

B2 · Upper Intermediate Academic

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

v. 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'.

Antonyms

02to yield to authority

B2 · Upper Intermediate

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

v. 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'.

Antonyms

03to suggest an opinion

C1 · Advanced Law Formal

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

v. 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.

04to undergo a process

C1 · Advanced Formal

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

v. 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'.

Synonyms

Collocations

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “submit” in context.

Verb

01. refuse to submit

“The local population refused to submit to the new laws imposed by the invaders.”

verb + infinitive

02. submit a formal application

“Interested candidates must submit a formal application by the end of the month.”

verb + adj + noun

03. submit the report to the board

“The committee will submit the report to the board for final approval tomorrow.”

verb + noun + prep + noun

Noun

04. failure to submit

“Failure to submit the required documents will result in your application being rejected.”

noun + infinitive

Adverb

05. electronically submit the assignment

“Students are required to electronically submit the assignment through the university portal.”

adv + verb + noun

06. voluntarily submit to a search

“The suspect decided to voluntarily submit to a search to prove his innocence.”

adv + verb + prep + noun

Real-World Examples

“Instead she submitted a refund request via Apple "report a problem" which refunded everything.”
BBC News 14 Aug 2026
“Thank you to everyone who submitted photos, there were too many good ones to pick from!”
The Local 13 Aug 2026

Etymology

From Middle English submitten, borrowed from Latin submittere, infinitive of submittō (“place under, yield”), from sub (“under, from below, up”) + mitto (“to send”). Compare upsend.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

VERB

submit(B2)

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
Frequency
Common
Level
B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
Updated

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