prescribe
verb/prɪˈskraɪb/
/prɪˈskraɪb/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they prescribe | /prɪˈskraɪb/ /prɪˈskraɪb/ |
| he / she / it prescribes | /prɪˈskraɪbz/ /prɪˈskraɪbz/ |
| past simple prescribed | /prɪˈskraɪbd/ /prɪˈskraɪbd/ |
| past participle prescribed | /prɪˈskraɪbd/ /prɪˈskraɪbd/ |
| -ing form prescribing | /prɪˈskraɪbɪŋ/ /prɪˈskraɪbɪŋ/ |
- (of a doctor) to tell somebody to take a particular medicine or have a particular treatment; to write a prescription for a particular medicine, etc.
- prescribe something Valium is usually prescribed to treat anxiety.
- prescribe (somebody) something (for something) He may be able to prescribe you something for that cough.
Extra ExamplesTopics Healthcarec1- The drug can no longer be legally prescribed.
- These drugs are widely prescribed to control high blood pressure.
- This drug is often prescribed for women with heart trouble.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- legally
- commonly
- frequently
- …
- as
- for
- to
- …
Definitions on the go
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- (of a person or an organization with authority) to say what should be done or how something should be done synonym stipulate
- prescribe something The prescribed form must be completed and returned to this office.
- prescribe that… Police regulations prescribe that an officer's number must be clearly visible.
- prescribe which, what, etc… The syllabus prescribes precisely which books should be studied.
Extra Examples- The curriculum is rigidly prescribed from an early age.
- culturally prescribed gender roles
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- narrowly
- rigidly
- strictly
- …
- culturally prescribed
- socially prescribed
Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘confine within bounds’, also as a legal term meaning ‘claim by prescription’): from Latin praescribere ‘direct in writing’, from prae ‘before’ + scribere ‘write’.
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prescribe