prescribe

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /pɹɪˈskɹaɪb/ See IPA manual

Freq #14867

Meanings

1

verb
To officially tell a patient to use a particular medicine or treatment.

Usage: In medical contexts, a qualified professional prescribes a medicine or treatment for a patient. The verb describes the act of ordering the treatment.

The doctor may prescribe a different treatment after reviewing the test results.

The doctor prescribed aspirin for her headache.
2

verb
To state officially what should be done as a rule or requirement.

The property meets the standards prescribed by the regulations.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 verb · to state officially what... order

Opposites

proscribe

Word family

Forms prescribedprescribesprescribing

Derived forms coprescribedeprescribemisprescribenonprescribingoverprescribeprescribableprescribeeprescriberreprescribeunderprescribeunprescribe

Related forms prescription prescriptionist prescriptiveprescriptivismprescriptivist

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin praescrībere, combining prae-, before, with scrībere, to write.

*(s)kreybʰ- Proto-Indo-European scribere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# prescribe

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /pɹɪˈskɹaɪb/
**Frequency rank:** 14867

## Meanings
1. To officially tell a patient to use a particular medicine or treatment.
2. To state officially what should be done as a rule or requirement.

## Usage Notes
- To officially tell a patient to use a particular medicine or treatment.: In medical contexts, a qualified professional prescribes a medicine or treatment for a patient. The verb describes the act of ordering the treatment.

## Examples
- The doctor may prescribe a different treatment after reviewing the test results.
- The doctor prescribed aspirin for her headache.
- The property meets the standards prescribed by the regulations.

## Antonyms
- proscribe

## Derived Forms
- coprescribe
- deprescribe
- misprescribe
- nonprescribing
- overprescribe
- prescribable
- prescribee
- prescriber
- represcribe
- underprescribe
- unprescribe

## Related Forms
- prescription
- prescriptionist
- prescriptive
- prescriptivism
- prescriptivist

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *(s)kreybʰ-
- Root: scribere - to write

## Etymology
Borrowed from Latin praescrībere, combining prae-, before, with scrībere, to write.

## AI Etymology
Prescribe was borrowed from Latin praescrībere, from prae- (“before, in front”) and scrībere (“to write”). The historical chain includes *(s)kreybʰ- (Proto-Indo-European). In present-day English it covers to officially tell a patient to use a particular medicine or treatment and to state officially what should be done as a rule or requirement. The wider family includes derived forms such as coprescribe, deprescribe, misprescribe, nonprescribing, overprescribe and related forms such as prescription, prescriptionist, prescriptive, prescriptivism.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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