prescription

American  

[pri-skrip-shuhn] / prɪˈskrɪp ʃən /

noun

prescriptions plural

1. Medicine/Medical.

   1. a direction, usually written, by the physician to the pharmacist for the preparation and use of a medicine or remedy.

   2. the medicine prescribed.

      Take this prescription three times a day.

2. an act of prescribing.

3. that which is prescribed.

4. Law.

   1. Also called positive prescription.  a long or immemorial use of some right with respect to a thing so as to give a right to continue such use.

   2. Also called positive prescription.  the process of acquiring rights by uninterrupted assertion of the right over a long period of time.

   3. Also called negative prescription.  the loss of rights to legal remedy due to the limitation of time within which an action can be taken.

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adjective

1. (of drugs) sold only upon medical prescription; ethical.

prescription British  

/ prɪˈskrɪpʃən /

noun

1. 1. written instructions from a physician, dentist, etc, to a pharmacist stating the form, dosage strength, etc, of a drug to be issued to a specific patient

   2. the drug or remedy prescribed

2. (modifier) (of drugs) available legally only with a doctor's prescription

3. 1. written instructions from an optician specifying the lenses needed to correct defects of vision

   2. ( as modifier )

      prescription glasses

4. the act of prescribing

5. something that is prescribed

6. a long established custom or a claim based on one

7. law

   1. the uninterrupted possession of property over a stated period of time, after which a right or title is acquired ( positive prescription )

   2. the barring of adverse claims to property, etc, after a specified period of time has elapsed, allowing the possessor to acquire title ( negative prescription )

   3. the right or title acquired in either of these ways

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• prescriptions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of prescription

1250–1300; Middle English < Medieval Latin praescrīptiōn- (stem of praescrīptiō ) legal possession (of property), law, order, literally, a writing before, hence, a heading on a document. See prescript, -ion

Explanation

A prescription is an order written by a doctor for someone to get a drug that is not available without this permission. If you get a bad ear infection, you'll need a prescription for antibiotics. When your doctor writes a prescription, she's advising you to take a medication that you can only get from a pharmacist. You can refer to the paper with the drug's name and the doctor's signature and the bottle of medicine as a prescription. Sometimes prescription is used in a non-medical way to simply mean a suggestion or recommendation, like laughter and friends — a great prescription for chasing away the blues.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

prescription prescriptions

Over the years, he said, the strength of the prescription creams got stronger and stronger.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

The bulks list rather dictates what ingredients compounding pharmacies can use when mixing custom medications for patients with a specific prescription.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

Some clinics call it the “wolverine compound” because of its healing properties, though New Zealand has recommended that BPC-157 is classified as a prescription drug.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

Tea, chocolate, soda and energy drinks, as well as over-the-counter and prescription medications, can all add to a person's daily intake.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026

Mami is waiting for me at the prescription counter.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

The analysts said that the veterinarians they surveyed filled 11% of prescriptions through Chewy, with companies like PetMed and Vetsource accounting for a smaller share.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026

More than 4.2 million patients in the US received prescriptions for the drug in 2023.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

Now that it has secured broader health-plan coverage, Lilly has the potential to unlock more prescriptions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

Meanwhile, the Health Foundation, a charity, has said affluent areas of the UK see higher rates of prescriptions on average, external, despite lower obesity prevalence, based on data from one private provider.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

She drove me to school and back every day, and even after Gramps came home she helped us, picking up his new prescriptions and making sure we had food in the house.

From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour

Related Words

• drug
• instruction
• recipe
• remedy