prescribed

American

[pri-skrahybd] / prɪˈskraɪbd /

adjective

dictated or indicated as a rule or course of action to be followed.

To limit your definition of art to certain prescribed forms is to cut yourself off from the bulk of human existence.
Medicine/Medical. (of a medicine, treatment, etc.) recommended or ordered by a qualified practitioner.

Test results for legal or prescribed drugs are returned in about two minutes.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of prescribe.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of prescribed

prescribe ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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.

In a letter to the Labor Department, the CFP Board warned that the proposal’s prescribed process and safe harbor “create a serious risk that prudence will be reduced to a check-the-box exercise.”

From Barron's • Jun. 16, 2026

Cashman says some of the children prescribed hormone treatments had also been diagnosed with conditions such as autism and ADHD, and the focus on gender medication risked overshadowing their wider health needs.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

But B12 deficiency should be considered before folate is prescribed on its own, because folate can improve some blood signs of B12 deficiency while nerve damage continues.

From Science Daily • Jun. 6, 2026

After a dangerously dense forest is cleared out with hands and heavy machinery, it’s much safer to return a few years later with prescribed fire instead, which is much cheaper.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

When the Great Six inspected my library record and found it top-heavy with adventure and science fiction, they prescribed appropriate doses of Steinbeck, Faulkner, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023