submit

submit — verb

1. to hand over a piece of writing such as a report, a form, or an application to t

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to hand over a piece of writing such as a report, a form, or an application to the person or group that will examine it and say what to do next

Example

Padma submitted her college application two weeks before the deadline.

submit + application + to + institution

All reports must be submitted to the department head by Friday.

passive: must be submitted + to + person

Common collocations
  • submit an application
  • submit a proposal
  • submit a report
  • submit a claim
  • submit a resignation
Synonyms
  • hand in

    less formal than submit, common in educational settings

  • file

    specifically for legal or official documents

  • lodge

    British English, formal, used for complaints, appeals, or claims

Antonyms
  • withdraw

    to take back a document or application before it is processed

Grammar Patterns

submit + noun + to + noun/pronoun

Usage Note

Frequently passive (be submitted). The person or body receiving the document is introduced by the preposition to. This sense is the most common meaning of submit across formal written English.

Common Mistakes

I submitted a question to the teacher yesterday.
I asked the teacher a question yesterday.
submit is for formal documents or applications, not casual questions.
I submitted my homework to my mom.
I showed my homework to my mom.
submit is used with authority figures in formal contexts; for parents use show or give.

2. to suggest or argue that something is true, especially in a formal setting such

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to suggest or argue that something is true, especially in a formal setting such as a court, a meeting, or a piece of academic writing

Example

The defence lawyer submitted that her client had acted in self-defence.

submit + that-clause in legal context

I would respectfully submit that the committee has overlooked a key piece of evidence.

formal register: respectfully submit that…

Common collocations
  • submit that
  • respectfully submit
  • submit as an argument
Synonyms
  • contend

    stronger than submit; implies active disagreement with an opposing view

  • maintain

    suggests a firm, continuing belief in the idea

  • argue

    more general than submit; covers both formal and informal reasoning

Grammar Patterns

submit + that-clause

Usage Note

Almost always followed by a that-clause. Common in legal arguments and formal debates. The adverb respectfully is frequently used before the verb ('I respectfully submit that…') as a politeness marker.

Common Mistakes

I submitted that we should go to the beach.
I suggested that we should go to the beach.
submit that is too formal for casual suggestions; use suggest instead.

3. to accept a stronger person's authority or to agree reluctantly to their demands

3.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to accept a stronger person's authority or to agree reluctantly to their demands, because resisting seems useless or impossible

Example

After months of fighting, the rebel army finally submitted to the government.

submit + to + authority

Soraya refused to submit to the pressure and kept working on her own terms.

submit + to + pressure

Common collocations
  • submit to authority
  • submit to pressure
  • submit to treatment
  • submit to demands
  • refuse to submit
Synonyms
  • yield

    more neutral than submit; can be used for physical objects (yield an advantage) and abstract situations

  • give in

    less formal than submit; often suggests reluctance after initial resistance

  • surrender

    stronger than submit; implies complete loss of control or giving up entirely

Antonyms
  • resist

    to actively oppose or fight against authority or pressure

  • defy

    to openly refuse to obey someone in authority

Grammar Patterns

submit + to + noun

submit + to + -ing form

Usage Note

Intransitive — requires the preposition to before the object. The subject loses or gives up something (freedom, pride, resistance). A stronger, more emotionally charged word than the near-synonyms yield or give in.

Common Mistakes

He submitted the pressure from his boss.
He submitted to the pressure from his boss.
the preposition to is required after this sense of submit.
The dog submitted his owner.
The dog submitted to its owner.
submit must be followed by to (intransitive); without to it becomes sense 1 (to hand over a document).

Word family

  • submission
    nounB2
  • submissive
    adjectiveC1
  • submissively
    adverbC1
  • resubmit
    verbB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Submit, hand in, file, and lodge all describe giving something to an authority for processing or consideration, but they differ in formality and context. Submit is the most general and neutral term for formal situations — you submit an application, a report, or a proposal. Hand in is less formal and common in school settings ('hand in your homework'), but it feels unnatural for legal or official documents. File is used specifically for documents that become part of an official record, such as a tax return, a complaint, or a lawsuit. Lodge is primarily British English and is used for complaints, appeals, or protests ('lodge an appeal'). For a standard job application, submit is the best choice ('she submitted her CV and cover letter'); for a legal complaint, file ('he filed a formal complaint') is more precise; and for an insurance claim, lodge works in British settings ('they lodged a claim for storm damage').

submit ↗hand infile ↗lodge ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • formally submit
  • respectfully submit
  • reluctantly submit
  • duly submit
  • finally submit

Phrases

  • submit a request
  • submit an appeal
  • submit for approval
  • submit to the authorities

Prepositions

  • submit to
  • submit for

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Submit comes from the Latin verb submittere, formed from sub- ('under, below') and mittere ('to send, put, let go'). In Latin it meant 'to lower, to let down, to put under,' and later 'to subordinate oneself.' The word entered English through Old French (submettre) in the 1300s. The two main branches of meaning developed early: the 'suggest/put forward' sense (literally 'send under' in the sense of 'send up for review') and the 'surrender/yield' sense (literally 'put oneself under [another's authority]').