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
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
With 117 rooms in the heart of the city, the property treats wellness less as an add-on and more as an extension of everyday life, allowing guests to engage deeply without feeling funneled through a prescriptive program.
—
Amy Francombe, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2025
The good news is that non-prescriptive remedies include lubricants—like gels, moisturizers and oils—and can ease and minimize the discomforts related to GSM.
—Elizabeth Yuko, Flow Space, 17 Dec. 2025
If that sounds tidily prescriptive, Cooper gives the reality of heartache its due.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025
Aseanté Renee – The Recovering Perfectionist This prescriptive nonfiction work by Renee, a licensed mental health practitioner, invites high-achieving Black women to release societal pressure and internalized perfectionism.
—Essence, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prescriptive
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Amy Francombe, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2025
The good news is that non-prescriptive remedies include lubricants—like gels, moisturizers and oils—and can ease and minimize the discomforts related to GSM.
—Elizabeth Yuko, Flow Space, 17 Dec. 2025
If that sounds tidily prescriptive, Cooper gives the reality of heartache its due.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025
Aseanté Renee – The Recovering Perfectionist This prescriptive nonfiction work by Renee, a licensed mental health practitioner, invites high-achieving Black women to release societal pressure and internalized perfectionism.
—Essence, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prescriptive
Cite this Entry
“Prescriptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prescriptive. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
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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
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