prescriptive
adjective/prɪˈskrɪptɪv/
/prɪˈskrɪptɪv/
- (formal) telling people what should be done
- prescriptive methods of teaching
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- (linguistics) telling people how a language should be used, rather than describing how it is used
- a prescriptive grammar of English
- (specialist) (of rights and institutions) made legal or acceptable because they have existed for a long time
- prescriptive powers
Word Originmid 18th cent.: from late Latin praescriptivus ‘relating to a legal exception’, from praescript- ‘directed in writing’, from the verb praescribere ‘direct in writing’, from prae ‘before’ + scribere ‘write’.
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