Standard Lemma guide

prescriptive

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Australian, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /pɹɪˈskɹɪptɪv/
  • US: Maryland Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • New-Zealand: /pɹəˈskɹəptəv/
  • rhymes with -ɪptɪv

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining, especially an action or behavior based on a norm or standard.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: normative

Antonyms: descriptive, proscriptive, nonprescriptive

2

adjective

Meaning 2

pertaining to giving directives or rules

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • prescriptive grammar is concerned with norms of or rules for correct usage

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: normative

Antonyms: descriptive

History

Etymology

From Latin praescriptivus (“relating to a legal exception”), from praescript- (“directed in writing”), from the verb praescribere.

Across languages

Translations

17 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: нормативен (normativen) — of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining, especially an action or behavior based on a norm or standard
  • Catalan: prescriptiu — of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining, especially an action or behavior based on a norm or standard
  • Faroese: hevdvunnin — of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining, especially an action or behavior based on a norm or standard
  • Faroese: siðbundin — of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining, especially an action or behavior based on a norm or standard
  • French: normatif — of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining, especially an action or behavior based on a norm or standard
  • German: normgebunden — of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining, especially an action or behavior based on a norm or standard
  • German: durch Vorgaben diktiert — of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining, especially an action or behavior based on a norm or standard
  • German: vorschreibend — of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining, especially an action or behavior based on a norm or standard
  • Japanese: 規範的な (kihanteki na) — of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining, especially an action or behavior based on a norm or standard
  • Mongolian: журамласан (žuramlasan) — of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining, especially an action or behavior based on a norm or standard
  • Polish: preskryptywny — of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining, especially an action or behavior based on a norm or standard
  • Polish: dyrektywalny — of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining, especially an action or behavior based on a norm or standard
  • Romanian: prescriptiv — of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining, especially an action or behavior based on a norm or standard
  • Russian: предпи́сывающий (predpísyvajuščij) — of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining, especially an action or behavior based on a norm or standard
  • Russian: нормати́вный (normatívnyj) — of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining, especially an action or behavior based on a norm or standard
  • Spanish: prescriptivo — of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining, especially an action or behavior based on a norm or standard
  • Swedish: preskriptiv — of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining, especially an action or behavior based on a norm or standard