subpoena

suh-PEE-nuh

meaning in plain English

A legal paper that forces someone to go to court to give their side of the story.

for example

The judge sent a subpoena to the witness, ordering them to appear in court next week.

Imagine getting a letter that says you must show up in court or face trouble— that’s a subpoena. It’s like being told, ‘You have to come explain yourself, no excuses.’