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

Glucosamine is widely sold without a prescription and is especially popular among older adults who take it for joint discomfort and joint health.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 27, 2026

You don’t have to give until there’s nothing left for yourself, especially if you need that $5 for an unexpected prescription or even food.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

But there are prescription drugs that can delay the advance in the early stages, or treat symptoms in later stages.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

After that, prescription drugs will need to move through a formal entry process with an accountable company or person legally on the hook if a shipment doesn’t qualify.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

But in a world that is changing as fast as ours, this is a prescription for disaster.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Nobody forced viewers to follow his unsound prescriptions.

From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026

As for Medicare cuts, “I’d budget for premiums, prescriptions and out-of-pocket costs, then test whether the retirement plan still works if those costs rise faster than expected,” she said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026

NHS medical records can contain highly sensitive personal information, ranging from test results and hospital discharge summaries to details of prescriptions and medications.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

A large study across Ontario has found that widely used medications, including statins and iron supplements, can sometimes trigger a chain of additional prescriptions in older adults.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026

When Jerry tried to pursue the subject, his father suddenly became very busy with prescriptions and stuff.

From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier

Related Words

• drug
• instruction
• recipe
• remedy