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

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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

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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

After contacting her health trust for her regular repeat prescription, she said she was told there were no supplies of Nabilone available.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

"They see it every day when they go to the grocery store, when they go to pick up a prescription."

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

Drivers include expected stable margins and increase in exclusive distribution contracts for specialty pharmaceuticals in prescription pharmaceuticals wholesaling operations, the analyst says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

Despite the striking results, the scientists caution against drawing immediate conclusions about the safety of sweeteners or their interactions with prescription medications.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

Why do I have a prescription for such a strong pain medication from a German Army doctor?

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron

Residents of rural areas are waiting longer for everything from prescriptions to bills, a report published in September by the Postal Service’s inspector general said.

From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026

In the United States alone, more than 4.2 million patients received prescriptions for the drug in 2023.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

Banga has argued in the past that its work should be driven by client countries' demands, not its own prescriptions.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

While private prescriptions for Wegovey and Mounjaro have soared, fewer than half of Scotland's health boards currently offer the treatment specifically for weight loss - and then only as part of small pilot schemes.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

In his pocket were several prescriptions to be left at the pharmacy.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

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Related Words

• drug
• instruction
• recipe
• remedy

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