subscribe
- 01 B1 Intermediate
to pay money regularly to receive a service, like a magazine, a gym membership, or a streaming app.
to arrange for the regular receipt of a publication or service by paying in advance.
Simple“I decided to subscribe to a monthly meal kit service to save time on cooking.”
In context“The household opted to subscribe to several premium streaming platforms rather than maintaining a traditional cable television package.”
Usageusually takes the preposition 'to' before the service name.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
to sign up for notifications or updates from a person or channel on social media.
to register for electronic notifications regarding new content or events from a specific creator or platform.
Simple“Don't forget to subscribe to my channel so you never miss a new video.”
In context“Users who subscribe to the newsletter receive early access to product launches and exclusive discount codes.”
Usageoften used without a preposition in digital contexts like 'subscribe to the channel'.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
to believe in or agree with a particular theory, opinion, or way of thinking.
to give one's consent or approval to an idea, theory, or philosophy.
Simple“I don't necessarily subscribe to the idea that money always brings happiness.”
In context“While many economists subscribe to this growth model, others argue that it fails to account for environmental degradation.”
Usagealmost always used with 'to'.
- 04 C1 Advanced
to promise to buy shares in a company or give money to a specific fund.
to apply for or agree to purchase a specific number of shares in a new issue; to pledge a financial contribution.
Simple“Investors were eager to subscribe to the new tech company's stock offering.”
In context“The investment bank invited institutional clients to subscribe to the bond issue before it opened to the general public.”
Usageoften used in the context of initial public offerings (IPOs).
- 05 C2 Proficiency
to write your name at the bottom of a formal paper to show you agree with it.
to sign one's name at the end of a document as a token of consent, attestation, or witness.
Simple“The witnesses were asked to subscribe their names to the will.”
In context“The charter was duly subscribed by the governors in the presence of a public notary.”
Teacher's tipThis is the original literal meaning (sub- 'under' + scribe 'write'), but it is rarely used in modern speech outside of legal contexts.
From Middle English subscriben, subskryben, from Latin subscrībere. Compare its native English equivalent underwrite.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.