subscribe

The word “subscribe” means to sign up to regularly receive a publication or service, often for a fee. In plain terms, to sign up for something ongoing, or to agree with a viewpoint.

“Subscribe” is pronounced suhb-SKRYB (/səbˈskɹaɪb/ in IPA).

Here is “subscribe” used in a sentence: “I subscribed to the magazine for a year.”

Words with a similar meaning to “subscribe” include sign up and underwrite.

“Subscribe” is a verb.

The word “subscribe” comes from Latin. From Latin subscrībere, "to write beneath" — the same idea as underwriting, signing your name below something.

“Subscribe” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Subscribe” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to sign up to regularly receive a publication or service, often for a fee.

In modern everyday English, subscribe takes to: you subscribe to a magazine, a streaming service, a channel, or a belief. The pattern subscribe for survives mainly in financial contexts, such as subscribing for shares in a company.

Sign up is the general act of registering for something, whether one-off or ongoing. Subscribe specifically implies arranging to receive a publication or service regularly, often for a recurring fee. You might sign up for a free trial, then subscribe when you start paying monthly.

Usage varies by platform, but following generally just adds someone's updates to your feed, while subscribing implies opting in to receive their content regularly and can involve payment or membership. Subscribe is the older word, rooted in signing up to receive publications.