prescriptive

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

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /pɹɪˈskɹɪptɪv/
• Rhymes: -ɪptɪv
• Hyphenation: pre‧scrip‧tive

prescriptive (comparative more prescriptive, superlative most prescriptive)

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

   Synonym: normative

   Antonyms: descriptive (especially of grammar and usage), proscriptive, nonprescriptive

   • 1988, Andrew Radford, Transformational Grammar, Cambridge: University Press, →ISBN, page 8:

     For one thing, spoken language tends to be less subjected to prescriptive
     pressures than written language, and hence is a less artificial medium of com-
     munication (written language is often a kind of 'censored' version of spoken
     language). [...]

• prescriptively
• prescriptiveness
• prescriptivism
• prescriptivist
• prescriptivity
• prescriptive ethics

• prescribe
• prescription