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

Over the last several years, the party’s primary unifying focus has been assailing President Donald Trump and MAGA, while lacking an articulate compelling message or prescriptive platform. —Seth David Radwell, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2025

One of the biggest shifts is from reflective to prescriptive reporting. —M. Todd Abner, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025

Walk into the parenting section of any bookstore and you will be bombarded by prescriptive books, old and new. —Theo Wolf, CNBC, 24 July 2025

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

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