subjoin

Imagine a skilled scribe carefully adding an important note to the end of a royal decree. To subjoin means to add or attach something to the end of a piece of writing or to something already stated, usually in a formal way. It is more deliberate than simply saying "add." You might subjoin a note to a letter, a clause to an agreement, or a statement to an earlier claim. The word often suggests that the added part is meant to support, complete, or formally extend what came before.

The word subjoin comes from the Old French subjoindre, meaning "to join under," hinting at the practice of adding information at the bottom of a document or in connection with a primary text. While we often use everyday words like "add" or "attach," subjoin carries a more formal, deliberate, and sometimes legal weight.

Historically, it was often used in legal and formal writing to show that extra material was being added to the main text. You might read in an old court record that a sworn statement was subjoined to a petition or declaration. Today, while less common in everyday speech, subjoin still appears when precision and formality are important.

It is not only about long documents, either. A speaker or writer can subjoin a further remark to an earlier one, meaning that it is added as a follow-up or extension. In older literature, you may also find people subjoining their names to a petition, which means adding their names at the end to show support.

Think of a carefully built argument in which a final note, example, or explanation is added to strengthen the main point. That added part is subjoined. So the word is useful when you want to describe a formal or purposeful addition, especially one placed at the end of a statement, document, or earlier remark.