subscription

subscription — noun

1. a sum of money handed over at set intervals — typically each month or each year

1.nounB1
Definition

a sum of money handed over at set intervals — typically each month or each year — in exchange for continued access to a product, service, or publication.

Example

Felix pays a monthly subscription for a music streaming service he shares with his family.

monthly subscription + streaming service

The magazine's print subscription costs sixty dollars a year and arrives every month.

Common collocations
  • monthly subscription
  • annual subscription
  • yearly subscription
  • subscription fee
  • subscription service
  • cancel a subscription
  • renew a subscription
  • take out a subscription
  • sign up for a subscription
  • subscription to a magazine
  • subscription to a streaming service
Synonyms
  • membership

    overlaps in meaning but suggests belonging to an organization rather than receiving a service

  • plan

    broader term used for mobile or insurance plans that involve regular payments

  • prepayment plan

    less common; emphasizes paying in advance for a period of service

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

subscription + to + [service/publication]

take out + a + subscription

Usage Note

Commonly used with 'take out', 'renew', and 'cancel'. The preposition 'to' introduces the service or publication (a subscription to a newspaper).

Common Mistakes

I bought a subscription of Netflix.
I bought a subscription to Netflix.
the required preposition is 'to', not 'of'.
The subscription is every month cost.
The subscription costs every month.
do not use 'cost' as an adjective.

2. a regular payment that you must make in order to belong to a club, a society, or

2.nounB1
Definition

a regular payment that you must make in order to belong to a club, a society, or another kind of organization.

Example

The annual subscription for the local history society is thirty dollars per person.

annual subscription + [society]

Walid renewed his subscription to the professional engineers' association last week.

renew a subscription + professional association

Common collocations
  • annual subscription
  • pay a subscription
  • renew a subscription
  • club subscription
  • society subscription
  • library subscription
Synonyms
  • membership dues

    more common in American English; implies a fixed regular payment to remain a member

  • membership fee

    neutral term that sounds less formal than 'subscription' in this sense

Grammar Patterns

[club/society] + subscription

pay + [number] + subscription

Usage Note

This sense is especially common in British English for clubs and societies. In American English, 'membership dues' or simply 'membership fee' is more frequent.

Common Mistakes

I need to pay my subscription for become a member.
I need to pay my subscription to become a member.
use the infinitive 'to become', not 'for become'.

3. a ticket or pass that allows you to attend all the performances, shows, or sport

3.nounB2
Definition

a ticket or pass that allows you to attend all the performances, shows, or sporting events in a particular series over a fixed period.

Example

The theater's subscription for this season includes four plays and two ballet performances.

theater subscription + season

Justin bought a concert-hall subscription so he could see every orchestra show that winter.

Common collocations
  • theater subscription
  • concert subscription
  • opera subscription
  • season subscription
  • full subscription
  • buy a subscription
  • subscription holder
Synonyms
  • season ticket

    more common for sports; interchangeable for performing arts in British English

  • season pass

    common for amusement parks and some sports; implies entry rather than reserved seating

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

[theater/concert hall] + subscription

subscription + to + [series of events]

Usage Note

Used especially in the context of performing arts venues (theaters, opera houses, concert halls) and major sports clubs. The subscription usually reserves the same seat for every event in the series.

Common Mistakes

I bought a subscription for the theater season.
I bought a subscription to the theater season.
'to' is the standard preposition even for events and performances.

4. a formal offer that allows investors to purchase newly issued stock in a busines

4.nounC1
Definition

a formal offer that allows investors to purchase newly issued stock in a business, often at a set or reduced price during the initial release.

Example

Existing shareholders received the right to a subscription for new shares at a discounted price.

right to a subscription + discounted price

Investors who missed the initial subscription could not buy shares at the lower price.

initial subscription — stock offering

Common collocations
  • share subscription
  • stock subscription
  • subscription for shares
  • subscription price
  • rights subscription
  • initial subscription
  • subscription agreement
  • subscription period
Synonyms
  • share offering

    more general term for when shares are made available; does not imply an investor's action

  • rights issue

    a specific type of subscription where existing shareholders get first priority

Grammar Patterns

subscription + for + [shares]

share + subscription

rights + subscription

Usage Note

Typically appears in formal financial documents or announcements. Often combined with 'rights' ('rights subscription') when existing shareholders have first refusal on new shares.

Common Mistakes

I applied a subscription for new shares.
I applied for a subscription of new shares.
'apply for' is the correct verb + preposition pattern.

5. the formal act of writing your name on a document to show that you agree with it

5.nounC2
Definition

the formal act of writing your name on a document to show that you agree with its contents or to confirm that you witnessed someone else signing it.

Example

The witness added her subscription at the bottom of the will before the notary.

subscription + at the bottom of + legal document

A notary public must be present for the subscription of each signature on the affidavit.

subscription + of + signature

Common collocations
  • subscription of a document
  • witness a subscription
  • put one's subscription
Synonyms
  • signature

    the modern everyday equivalent; much more common in all contexts

  • signing

    the action rather than the result; used in phrases like 'the signing of the contract'

Grammar Patterns

[person]'s + subscription + of + [document]

Usage Note

This is an older, formal sense found mainly in legal contexts. In modern everyday language, 'signature' or 'signing' has replaced 'subscription' for this meaning.

6. an amount of money that someone has agreed to give, especially to support a char

6.nounC1
Definition

an amount of money that someone has agreed to give, especially to support a charity, a religious organization, or a community project.

Example

The church depends on annual subscriptions from its members to run youth programs.

annual subscription + charitable purpose

Talia made a subscription of five hundred dollars to the children's hospital building fund.

make a subscription + of + [amount] + to + [cause]

Common collocations
  • annual subscription
  • charitable subscription
  • make a subscription
  • collect subscriptions
  • subscription to a charity
  • monthly subscription
Synonyms
  • pledge

    emphasizes the promise to give; often used in fundraising campaigns

  • donation

    broader term covering any gift of money; does not necessarily imply a regular commitment

  • contribution

    neutral term; can be one-time or recurring

Grammar Patterns

[person] + makes + a + subscription + of + [amount]

annual + subscription + to + [charity]

Usage Note

Closely related to sense 1 but distinct because the money is a pledged gift rather than payment for a service. Often used in religious or charitable fundraising contexts.

Common Mistakes

I subscribed a donation to the hospital.
I made a subscription of 200 dollars to the hospital.
'subscribe' as a verb in this sense is intransitive in modern English; 'make a subscription' is clearer.

Word family

  • subscribe
    verbB1
  • subscriber
    nounB1
  • subscribing
    adjectiveB2
  • nonsubscription
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While 'subscription' (sense 1) emphasizes a regular payment that keeps a service or product coming, 'membership' stresses belonging to an organization and often includes voting rights or other privileges beyond service access. 'Dues' is narrower — it refers to fixed payments required by unions, clubs, or professional associations and carries a more obligatory tone. 'Plan' is more generic and is commonly used for mobile, insurance, or health packages that bundle several services. For example, your 'subscription' to a streaming service lets you watch shows, your 'membership' at a co-op gives you a say in decisions, your union 'dues' pay for collective bargaining, and your phone 'plan' bundles talk, text, and data.

membershipsubscription feeduesplan

Common collocations

Nouns

  • fee
  • price
  • rate
  • service
  • plan
  • holder
  • period

Adverbs

  • annually
  • monthly
  • yearly

Phrases

  • take out a subscription
  • cancel a subscription
  • renew a subscription
  • sign up for a subscription
  • pay by subscription

Prepositions

  • to
  • for

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Latin 'subscriptionem', meaning 'a writing beneath' or 'a signature'. The word is formed from 'sub-' (under) + 'scribere' (to write). In ancient Rome, signing one's name at the bottom of a document indicated agreement — hence 'subscription' originally meant 'signature'. Over centuries, the meaning shifted: first to 'signing up to contribute money', then to the regular payment itself. The modern sense of paying for a recurring service (sense 1) became dominant in the 20th century with magazines and has since expanded to digital services.