prescribe

verb

pre·​scribe pri-ˈskrīb 

prescribed; prescribing

intransitive verb

1

: to lay down a rule : dictate

2

[Middle English, from Medieval Latin praescribere, from Latin, to write at the beginning] : to claim a title to something by right of prescription

3

: to write or give medical prescriptions

4

: to become by prescription invalid or unenforceable

transitive verb

1

a

: to lay down as a guide, direction, or rule of action : ordain

b

: to specify with authority

2

: to designate or order the use of as a remedy

prescribed a painkiller

a prescribed burn to restore natural forest conditions

prescriber noun

Did you know?

Proscribe vs. Prescribe

Proscribe and prescribe each have a Latin-derived prefix that means "before" attached to the verb "scribe" (from scribere, meaning "to write"). Yet the two words have very distinct, often nearly opposite meanings. Why? In a way, you could say it's the law. In the 15th and 16th centuries both words had legal implications. To proscribe was to publish the name of a person who had been condemned, outlawed, or banished. To prescribe meant "to lay down a rule," including legal rules or orders.

Synonyms

• define
• lay down
• specify

Examples of prescribe in a Sentence

This drug should not be prescribed to children.

a drug commonly prescribed to treat rashes

The doctor prescribed three months of physical therapy for my leg injury.

The law prescribes a prison sentence of at least five years for the crime.

The regulations prescribe that all employees must pass a physical examination.

We must follow the rules as prescribed by the government.

Recent Examples on the Web

They were all prescribed Ozempic or one of seven older type 2 diabetes medicines such as insulin or metformin. —Lisa Rapaport, EverydayHealth.com, 28 Oct. 2024

Doctors prescribed the Mediterranean climate’s natural healing powers, and everyone from Queen Victoria to Robert Louis Stevenson flocked to the Riviera each winter to be cured. —Lane Nieset, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2024

For years, doctors have prescribed puberty-blocking drugs to certain transgender children who are psychologically assessed as needing them as a way to lower this distress, a model called the Dutch protocol, based on early research supporting this approach in the Netherlands. —Brenda Goodman, CNN, 25 Oct. 2024

Up to 30% of antibiotics prescribed in the United States are used unnecessarily.21 Another class of drugs that affect gut bacteria is proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). —Robert Burakoff, Verywell Health, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin praescribere to write at the beginning, dictate, order, from prae- + scribere to write — more at scribe

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Kids Definition

prescribe

verb

pre·​scribe pri-ˈskrīb 

prescribed; prescribing

1

: to lay down as a rule of action

the route that was prescribed

2

: to order or direct the use of something as a remedy

the doctor prescribed an antibiotic

prescriber noun

Medical Definition

prescribe

verb

pre·​scribe pri-ˈskrīb 

prescribed; prescribing

intransitive verb

: to write or give medical prescriptions

transitive verb

: to designate or order the use of as a remedy

prescribe a drug

Legal Definition

prescribe

verb

pre·​scribe pri-ˈskrīb 

prescribed; prescribing

intransitive verb

1

: to claim title or a right to something (as an easement) by prescription

a precarious possessor cannot prescribe against the owner

2

in the civil law of Louisiana : to become unenforceable or invalid by prescription

any party having an interest in a money judgment may have it revived before it prescribes

—Louisiana Civil Code

transitive verb

1

: to lay down as a rule or guide : specify with authority

the times, places and manner of holding elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the legislature thereof

—U.S. Constitution art. I

2

in the civil law of Louisiana : to invalidate or bar the enforcement of by prescription

this claim for damages shall not be prescribed so long as the minor's right of action exists against his tutor

—Louisiana Civil Code