prescribe
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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Medicine/Medical. to designate remedies, treatment, etc., to be used.
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Law. to claim a right or title by virtue of long use and enjoyment; make a prescriptive claim. (usually followed by for orto ).
verb
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to lay down as a rule or directive
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law to claim or acquire (a right, title, etc) by prescription
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law to make or become invalid or unenforceable by lapse of time
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med to recommend or order the use of (a drug or other remedy)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonprescribernoun
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prescribernoun
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misprescribeverb
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overprescribeverb
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represcribeverb (used with object)
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prescribableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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prescribesimple
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prescribessimple
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have prescribedperfect
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has prescribedperfect
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am prescribingprogressive
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are prescribingprogressive
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is prescribingprogressive
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have been prescribingperfect progressive
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has been prescribingperfect progressive
Past
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prescribedsimple
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had prescribedperfect
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was prescribingprogressive
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were prescribingprogressive
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had been prescribingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of prescribe
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English from Latin praescrībere “to direct in writing,” literally, “to write before or above,” equivalent to prae- pre- + scrībere “to write”; see scribe 1, prescription
Explanation
To prescribe is make orders or give directions for something to be done. These days, the word is mainly used by doctors who prescribe medications to take. Doctors do a lot of prescribing: they prescribe drugs, rest, exercise, and getting rid of bad habits like smoking. When a doctor prescribes something, he or she is saying, "You need to do this. You should do it." That's the most common use of prescribe, but it pops up anywhere someone is advising or ordering someone to do something. All laws and rules prescribe things — they tell you what to do.
Vocabulary lists containing prescribe
Vocabulary from the Constitution of the United States
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"Preamble" and "Bill of Rights," Vocabulary from the U.S. Constitution
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Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789)
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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.
See Examples For:
Done, which continues to operate under a different name, previously said it is a technology platform that connects patients with medical professionals and doesn’t prescribe medications.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
The findings added to the concerns that some critics have raised about compounding pharmacies and telehealth companies, which they say are too quick to prescribe.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
In medical settings even a small gift from a drug company — like a box of doughnuts — can lead doctors to prescribe its brands more often.
From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026
As part of the Pharmacy First scheme, pharmacists can currently prescribe medication for a sore throat, earache, sinusitis, shingles, impetigo, infected bites and urinary tract infections.
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
“No. It was very curious. He complained that he felt as if there were long pieces of straw stuck in his throat. When I told the doctor he was able to prescribe the proper medication.”
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
"I want every person who prescribes the drug to warn women of the possible side effects," she added.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
When he gets sedentary patients, Alter prescribes exercise like a drug.
From Barron's ● Jun. 27, 2026
At Carafem, a reproductive healthcare company that prescribes abortion medication via telehealth in 19 states and D.C., providers have offered the option of misoprostol-only abortions since 2020.
From Slate ● May 18, 2026
Textbook monetary policy prescribes looking through sudden supply shocks such as higher oil prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
One of the few local documents to survive from this time, the so-called Constitution of Cyrene, prescribes the kind of political machinery one might expect in a wholly independent polis.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
Which “widely prescribed medications” might the report be talking about?
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
Meilir, from Landwrog in Gwynedd, was prescribed topical steroid creams to treat his eczema - a common treatment for many of the eight million people who have eczema in the UK.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
The Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act would address a glaring irony in our current regulations: They deter prescribed burns due to pollution concerns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
On the witness stand in 2010, the Virginian-Pilot reported, Truelove said he gained 100 pounds in two months after doctors prescribed psychotropic medications.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Within the pouch lay a green flask filled with a calming elixir prescribed by the doctor.
From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson
"There is no uniform national framework prescribing consistent standards of financial transparency across all religious institutions," said Sonam Chandwani, managing partner at KS Legal & Associates.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
According to both Miller and Han, improving education at every step of the prescribing process, from the doctor's office to the pharmacy counter, could help prevent many of these medication errors.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026
“Limited clinician engagement, especially when prescribing compounded GLP-1 receptor agonists with uncertain safety, efficacy, and quality, may increase risks of medical and financial harm,” the researchers concluded.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
The report said concerns about O'Brien's practice were known for many years before 2016, including triage delays, record-keeping failures, storage of patients notes at home, delayed dictation, non-standard prescribing and other clinical and administrative concerns.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
But happening to look up at Mrs. Pocket as she sat reading her book of dignities after prescribing Bed as a sovereign remedy for baby, I thought—Well—No, I wouldn’t.
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
