Subpoena

medium

suh-PEE-nuh

noun

Definition

a writ commanding a person to appear in court

Examples

The committee issued a subpoena demanding the executive's testimony.
He ignored the subpoena and was promptly held in contempt.

Synonyms

summonswritcourt ordercitation

Antonyms

dismissalreleaseexcusalexemption

Categories

GRE Tip

Subpoena is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "summons" or "writ" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "dismissal".

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