as in traditional
based on customs usually handed down from a previous generation
even in this age of e-mail the prescriptive response to a wedding gift is a handwritten thank-you note
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prescriptive
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
Other groups, such as the virtual Slow AF Run Club, suggest a less prescriptive approach: Choose a run interval that ends before your legs get tired.
—The New York Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for prescriptive
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
Other groups, such as the virtual Slow AF Run Club, suggest a less prescriptive approach: Choose a run interval that ends before your legs get tired.
—The New York Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for prescriptive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prescriptive
Adjective
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Everything packs down into the carrying bag, which has a separate pocket for the collapsible pole (a game changer for folks who have wrestled with traditional camping gear and stuff sacks).—
Francesca Krempa,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Aug. 2025
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The concept quickly took off in media coverage as evocative shorthand for a puzzling phenomenon: by many traditional metrics, the economy of the Biden years was strong, especially by the second half of his tenure, when high rates of inflation started to slow.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Were there customary marketing activities before the sale of shares? 17.—
Meenal Aggarwal,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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The court affirmed that all countries have a legal duty under customary international law, which refers to universal rules that arise from common practices among states, to prevent harm to the climate.—
Daimeon Shanks-Dumont,
The Conversation,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Where are millennials buying the most homes? Raleigh, North Carolina leads the nation in millennial homebuying, with 4.5% of Raleigh-Cary residents aged 25-44 purchasing homes with conventional mortgages in 2024, the highest share among all metro areas studied.—
Diana Leyva,
USA Today,
15 Aug. 2025
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The nonprofit’s study on cotton—spanning organic, conventional, recycled and regenerative —is slated for this year’s last quarter.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prescriptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prescriptive. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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