prescriptive
Americanadjective
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that prescribes; giving directions or injunctions.
a prescriptive letter from an anxious father.
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depending on or arising from effective legal prescription, as a right or title established by a long unchallenged tenure.
adjective
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making or giving directions, rules, or injunctions
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sanctioned by long-standing usage or custom
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derived from or based upon legal prescription
a prescriptive title
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of prescriptive
First recorded in 1740–50; prescript + -ive, modeled on descriptive, destructive, etc.
Explanation
Prescriptive things have to do with giving rules or directions. Prescriptive advice tells you what to do. When the doctor writes a prescription, he or she is telling you to get a particular drug and take it. Similarly, anything prescriptive involves telling people what to do. People are prescriptive when they're sure of what’s right. "You have several options" is not prescriptive, but "You should do this" is very prescriptive. A bossy person is very prescriptive.
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.
That’s a lot more prescriptive than just asking a question.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
Another was more prescriptive: “Take pictures of your food. Spend a little time and effort to make your own flyer.”
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
The Colosseum is not prescriptive about when people should visit, instead directing visitors to guidance from the regional authorities.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
“We’re trying to find ways to do therapy so that it doesn’t feel as prescriptive, and that they don’t feel like they’re being told how to recover.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2025
It is true that descriptive and prescriptive rules are different kinds of things and that descriptive and prescriptive grammarians are engaged in different kinds of activities.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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