prescriptive

adjective

pre·​scrip·​tive pri-ˈskrip-tiv 

1

: serving to prescribe

prescriptive rules of usage

2

: acquired by, founded on, or determined by prescription or by long-standing custom

prescriptively adverb

Synonyms

• classical
• conventional
• customary
• traditional

Examples of prescriptive in a Sentence

Critics claim the new rules are too prescriptive.

even in this age of e-mail the prescriptive response to a wedding gift is a handwritten thank-you note

Recent Examples on the Web

Ask for clear, prescriptive documentation to help your team implement APIs effectively. —Gegham Azatyan, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024

Albeit, Ian Faith’s solution is more precautionary than prescriptive in both finding proper compromise and market awareness. —Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2024

Hanging on too tightly, being too prescriptive and holding them back with poor processes and workflows can be an immediate and pernicious throttle on growth. —Agur Jõgi, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024

Phil Ochs was an artist who created protest music in a way that was really prescriptive. —Tharin Pillay, TIME, 10 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1663, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Legal Definition

prescriptive

adjective

pre·​scrip·​tive pri-ˈskrip-tiv 

1

: serving to prescribe

prescriptive rules

2

: acquired by, founded on, or constituting prescription

a prescriptive right

a longer prescriptive period