prescriptive

adjective

pre·​scrip·​tive pri-ˈskrip-tiv How to pronounce prescriptive (audio)
1
: serving to prescribe
prescriptive rules of usage
2
: acquired by, founded on, or determined by prescription or by long-standing custom
prescriptively adverb

Examples of prescriptive in a Sentence

Critics claim the new rules are too prescriptive. even in this age of e-mail the prescriptive response to a wedding gift is a handwritten thank-you note
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
None of this is intended as a prescriptive sale guide for Wikipedia. James Folta, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025 None are resolved in a prescriptive way. Judy Berman, Time, 25 Sep. 2025 India, for example, is home to some of the largest AI talent and plans to release a deliberately non-prescriptive AI governance framework. The Ai Insider, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2025 Workout Buddy is intentionally less prescriptive than the Running Coach on the latest Galaxy Watches. PC Magazine, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for prescriptive

Word History

First Known Use

1663, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prescriptive was in 1663

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prescriptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prescriptive. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

Legal Definition

prescriptive

adjective
pre·​scrip·​tive pri-ˈskrip-tiv How to pronounce prescriptive (audio)
1
: serving to prescribe
prescriptive rules
2
: acquired by, founded on, or constituting prescription
a prescriptive right
a longer prescriptive period
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!