Dictionary

prescribe en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˌpɹiːˈskɹaɪb/ distinguished from proscribe
• /pɹəˈskɹaɪb/
• (Southern-England) audio
• /pɹɪˈskɹaɪb/
• /pɝˈskɹaɪb/ (proscribed)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per- Proto-Indo-European *preh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-i Proto-Indo-European *préh₂i? Proto-Italic *prai Proto-Italic *prai- Latin prae- Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker-? Proto-Indo-European *(s)kreybʰ- Proto-Indo-European *(s)kréybʰeti Proto-Italic *skreiβō Latin scrībō Latin praescrībōbor. English prescribe Borrowed from Latin praescrībere, from prae- (“before, in front”) and scrībere (“to write”).

Meanings

1. To order (a drug or medical device) for use by a particular patient (under licensed authority).
   • And most neurologists are in the habit of prescribing antispasticity drugs like tizanidine and baclofen, which are oral and inexpensive, but which cause drowsiness and weaken every muscle in the body, not just the target ones. 2009 March 17, Donald G. Mcneil Jr., “After a Stroke, Freeing Muscles With Botox”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 30 Jun 2017:
   • The doctor prescribed aspirin.
2. To specify by writing as a required procedure or ritual; to lay down authoritatively as a guide, direction, or rule of action.
   • VVhen Parents loves are order'd by a Son, / Let ſtreams preſcribe their fountains vvhere to run. 1665 (first performance), John Dryden, The Indian Emperour, or, The Conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards. […], London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for H[enry] Herringman […], published 1667, →OCLC, Act I, scene ii, page 5:
   • The property meets the criteria prescribed by the regulations.
   • Prescribe not us our duties. c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
3. To develop or assert a right; to make a claim (by prescription).
   • Because of the juristic difficulties associated with the Donation of Constantine, the question of whether the papacy had in any case prescribed its jurisdiction in the patrimony had become a common topic amongst jurists […] 1987, Joseph Canning, The Political Thought of Baldus de Ubaldis, page 53:
   • Most probable that one presentation and 40 years possession thereafter, is sufficient to prescribe a right of patronage. 1753, Andrew McDouall, An Institute of the Laws of Scotland in Civil Rights […] , volume 3, Table of Contents, page 86:
   • […] held, in a question with a party who had acquired right from the commissioners of the forfeited estates to the estate of the forfeited superior, as it stood in his person, that the crown charter of the vassal was a valid title on which to prescribe a right to the coal […] 1834, Patrick Shaw, Digest of Cases Decided in the Courts of Session, Teinds, and Justiciary in the House of Lords, 1821–1833 […] , page 135:
4. To become invalidated or unenforceable by prescription, to lapse

Forms

Antonyms

proscribe

Deriveds

represcribe · prescribee · coprescribe · deprescribe · prescriber · overprescribe · unprescribe · prescribable · underprescribe · nonprescribing · misprescribe

Relateds

prescriptive · prescriptionist · prescription · prescriptivist · prescriptivism

Translations (96)

el υπαγορεύω (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · fr ordonner (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · fi määrätä (to order a drug or medical device) · ru пропи́сывать (to order a drug or medical device) · sh propisívati (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · id meresepkan (to order a drug or medical device) · hu felír (to order a drug or medical device) · ru устана́вливать (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · sk predpisovať (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · ja 規定する (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · pt prescrever (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · ro prescrie (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · it prescrivere (to order a drug or medical device) · tr reçete yazmak (to order a drug or medical device) · pl przepisywać (to order a drug or medical device) · de verschreiben (to order a drug or medical device) · ca receptar (to order a drug or medical device) · it prescrivere (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · mi tūtohi (to order a drug or medical device) · ast recetar (to order a drug or medical device) · sh прописи́вати (to order a drug or medical device) · zdj hwekeza (to order a drug or medical device) · cmn 開藥 /开药 (to order a drug or medical device) · pl ordynować (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · es ordenar (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · it ordinare (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · id memerintahkan (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · bn আদেশ করা (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · pt prescrever (to order a drug or medical device) · fi säätää (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · nl voorschrijven (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · de vorschreiben (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · ro prescrie (to order a drug or medical device) · fr prescrire (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · ar وَصَفَ (to order a drug or medical device) · ro ordona (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · sv skriva ut (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · uk припи́сувати (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · es prescribir (to order a drug or medical device) · sk predpisovať (to order a drug or medical device) · hu előír (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · tl magreseta (to order a drug or medical device) · de verordnen (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · bg давам предписание (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · ru предпи́сывать (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · nl voorschrijven (to order a drug or medical device) · hy նշանակել (to order a drug or medical device) · pl ordynować (to order a drug or medical device) · fi kirjoittaa resepti (to order a drug or medical device) · sv ordinera (to order a drug or medical device) · fa نسخه پیچیدن (to order a drug or medical device) · es prescribir (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · ca prescriure (to order a drug or medical device) · sq parashkruaj (to order a drug or medical device) · ja 処方する (to order a drug or medical device) · pt ordenar (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · cmn 規定 /规定 (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · af voorskryf (to order a drug or medical device) · cmn 處方 /处方 (to order a drug or medical device) · fr ordonner (to order a drug or medical device) · fi määrätä (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · fa نسخه نوشتن (to order a drug or medical device) · es recetar (to order a drug or medical device) · sk ordinovať (to order a drug or medical device) · pl wydać receptę na (lek) (to order a drug or medical device) · cs předepisovat (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · id mempreskripsikan (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · fr indiquer (to order a drug or medical device) · bg предписвам (to order a drug or medical device) · fa تجویز کردن (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · ang sċrīfan (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · fr prescrire (to order a drug or medical device) · ro ordona (to order a drug or medical device) · sh propisívati (to order a drug or medical device) · sq porosis (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · io preskriptar (to order a drug or medical device) · pt receitar (to order a drug or medical device) · sq urdhëroj (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · eu errezetatu (to order a drug or medical device) · ru назнача́ть (to order a drug or medical device) · sv föreskriva (to order a drug or medical device) · it ordinare (to order a drug or medical device) · sh прописи́вати (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · cs nařizovat (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · cs ordinovat (to order a drug or medical device) · pl nakazywać (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · sk nariaďovať (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · pl ustanawiać (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · ar أَمَرَ (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · mi tūtohu (to order a drug or medical device) · pl zarządzać (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · uk признача́ти (to order a drug or medical device) · pl dyktować (to specify as a required procedure or ritual) · de verordnen (to order a drug or medical device) · cs předepisovat (to order a drug or medical device) · af voorskryf (to specify as a required procedure or ritual)