Skip to main content
to issue a subpoena

to issue a subpoena

15 8.1
To officially order someone to go to court or give evidence
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈɪʃu ə səˈpuːnə/
  • Formal
translation icon : citar
  • The court decided to issue a subpoena for both witnesses to ensure their appearance at the trial.
  • committee issued a subpoena
  • prosecutor issued a subpoena
  • jury issued subpoenas

Prosecutors issued a subpoena earlier this year to the Archives to obtain the boxes.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Since Mr. Cadden has indicated he will not appear voluntarily, we are left with no choice but to issue a subpoena.

    Blog text (30)
  • Archibald Cox declared war on President Nixon today by issuing a subpoena for nine of the President's tapes.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Officer, you must issue a subpoena.

  • In this matter, do you think Congress should or should not issue subpoenas to force White House officials to testify under oath about this matter?

    Blog text (31)
  • Prosecutors issued a subpoena earlier this year to the Archives to obtain the boxes.

  • Note that police officers have gained access with a court-issued subpoena, according to your report.

    Blog text (30)
  • Then start issuing subpoenas.

    Blog text (15)
  • In Miller, government agents issued subpoenas to two banks and obtained banking records suggesting that the depositor possessed an illegal still.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Issa exposed Towns' cover-up by issuing a second subpoena, which disgorged all of the records:

    Blog text (16)
  • The Joint Commission on Public Ethics has issued subpoenas for several of Silver's aides and attorneys with the state comptroller and attorney general as Cuomo's aides wonder if Silver can survive, according to sources.

    Blog text (25)

Synonyms

to subpoena
vsto issue a subpoena
  • Formal
74 8.3

To officially order someone to go to court or give papers

is the formal act of making that court order to compel appearance or evidence
to cite
vsto issue a subpoena
  • Formal
33 6.4

To officially tell someone to appear before a court

is the specific formal court order used to compel appearance or evidence
to summons
vsto issue a subpoena
  • Formal
14 5.3

To order someone to appear in court

is the formal court order that also compels production of evidence
to supes
vsto issue a subpoena
  • Jargon
9.9

Order someone to appear in court and bring papers

is the formal act rather than casual or informal wording

How Compulsory

to compel
258 4.8
to issue a subpoena
  • Formal
15 8.1
to summon
  • Formal
200 5.3
to invite
1.0

Surface Forms

issue a subpoena infinitive
issued a subpoena past participle
issuing a subpoena present participle
issues a subpoena third person singular

Morphology

issue + a + subpoena

The meaning is directly compositional: 'issue' (to make official or distribute) combined with 'subpoena' (a court order) yields 'to formally order someone to appear or provide evidence.' The article 'a' is semantically neutral and the verb + noun pattern is a common, cross-linguistically transparent legal construction, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

Issue a subpoena comes from old law words: the word subpoena comes from Latin meaning 'under penalty', and issue means to send out a paper that orders someone to come to court. So the image is a court sending a paper that threatens punishment if you do not come, which is why the phrase means 'to formally order someone to appear or give evidence'.