prescriptive

adjective

pre·​scrip·​tive pri-ˈskrip-tiv 

1

: serving to prescribe

prescriptive rules of usage

2

: acquired by, founded on, or determined by prescription or by long-standing custom

prescriptively adverb

Synonyms

• traditional
• customary
• conventional

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

Building this within a repeatable, prescriptive framework ensures the team has the clarity to execute effectively and scale the solution across the organization. —Jeffrey Eiben, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025

Choose from hydro glow facials, Himalayan salt rituals, de-stress massages, pedicures, prescriptive manicures, and even Reiki and reflexology. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025

That will require the United States to offer a concrete alternative, one that is focused on transparency and choice, to more prescriptive regulations, such as the EU’s restrictions on AI applications that do not comply with extensive EU rules. —Michael C. Horowitz, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2025

The most viral dating content tends to be prescriptive and alarmist. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1663, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for prescriptive

• ascriptive
• descriptive

Legal Definition

prescriptive

adjective

pre·​scrip·​tive pri-ˈskrip-tiv 

1

: serving to prescribe

prescriptive rules

2

: acquired by, founded on, or constituting prescription

a prescriptive right

a longer prescriptive period