Word
prescribe
Phoneticspre·scribe
US/pɹəsˈkɹaɪb/
UK/pɹɪskɹˈaɪb/
Definitions
01medical treatment
v. to officially tell a patient to take a specific medicine or treatment.
v. to authorize the use of a medicine or treatment for a patient, typically in writing. Transitive — requires a direct object representing the treatment.
“The doctor decided to prescribe antibiotics to help clear up the infection.”
“After reviewing the blood test results, the specialist prescribed a lower dosage of the medication to minimize potential side effects.”
Usage
Usually follows the pattern 'prescribe something for someone' or 'prescribe someone something'.
Pitfall
The doctor prescribed me for some pills.
The doctor prescribed some pills for me.
You prescribe the medicine (the object), not the person.
Teaching tip
Learners often confuse this with 'subscribe'. Remind them that 'pre-' means before (the doctor writes it before you get the medicine).
02to set a rule
v. to state officially that a rule or way of doing something must be followed.
v. to lay down authoritatively as a guide, direction, or rule of action. Often used in legal or formal administrative contexts.
“The law prescribes a heavy fine for anyone caught polluting the river.”
“The international treaty prescribes the exact conditions under which diplomatic immunity may be revoked by a host nation.”
Formal
Usage
Often used in the passive voice: 'the punishment prescribed by law'.
Teaching tip
This is a high-level academic word. In everyday English, people usually say 'set the rules' or 'say what to do'.
Confusables
Prescribe is to order a treatment or rule, while proscribe is to officially forbid a practice.
RememberPre- means 'for' (recommend); Pro- means 'against' (prohibit).
Real-World Examples
“She concludes the book with an exhortation to “unplug” and connect with nature and animals but prescribes nothing further.” “As a co-investigator on a federally funded study about opioid prescribing, I rely on health data in my own research.” Etymology
Borrowed from Latin praescrībere, from prae- (“before, in front”) and scrībere (“to write”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/prescribe