prescribe
verb (used with object)
to lay down, in writing or otherwise, as a rule or a course of action to be followed; appoint, ordain, or enjoin.
had prescribed
-
past perfectof prescribe.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If doctors had prescribed Sovaldi to 2.4 million people with chronic hepatitis C at the time of the launch, the cost would have exceeded $200 billion.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
He had been diagnosed with Parkinson's a few years before and, when he began to experience shakes, doctors had prescribed a drug called Pramipexole.
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026
The psychiatrist who had prescribed it to him had engaged in “some suspect practices that we’ve learned about in the course of our investigations,” prosecutor Danielle Sassoon said.
From Slate ● Oct. 18, 2023
Band said in an affidavit that she had prescribed the drug to facilitate the insertion of IUD.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2022
After his cancer was cut out of him, the doctor had prescribed as many apples as he could stand, and he ate a lot of them.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
