subpoena
UK /sə(b)ˈpiː.nə/ · US /sə(b)ˈpi.nə/ noun, verb
Forms subpoenas subpoenae subpoenæ subpoenaing subpoenaed subpena subpœna
- noun (law) 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.
- noun (historical, law) 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.
- noun (figurative) A motive or thing which can compel or demand something, or summon someone.
- verb (law) 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).
- verb (law) To require (a document or other evidence) to be produced before a court, or at a deposition or some other legal proceeding.
- verb (figurative) To compel or summon (someone or something); to demand.
Synonyms
witness summons order to attend court citation invocation summons writ of summons subpoena ad testificandum
Etymology
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.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A writ commanding the attendance in court, as a witness, of the person on whom it is served, under a penalty; the process by which a defendant in equity is commanded to appear and answer the plaintiff's bill. [Written also subpena.] Subpoena ad testificandum (. Etym: [NL.] A writ used to procure the attendance of a witness for the purpose of testifying.
- verb To serve with a writ of subpoena; to command attendance in court by a legal writ, under a penalty in case of disobedience.
Etymology [NL., fr. L. sub under + poena punishment. See Pain.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “subpoena”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details