proscribe

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /pɹəˈskɹaɪb/ UK /ˈpɹəʊˌskɹaɪb/ See IPA manual

Freq #229092

Meanings

1

verb
To officially forbid or ban something.

The law proscribes driving while intoxicated.
2

verb
To condemn or denounce something as unacceptable.

The word ‘ain’t’ is proscribed by many language authorities.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to officially forbid or ban... veto

Opposites

prescribe

Word family

Forms proscribedproscribesproscribing

Derived forms deproscribeproscribableproscriber

Related forms proscription proscriptiveproscriptivist

Simplified etymology

Proscribe, recorded from the late Middle Ages, is traced in the source to Latin postscribere, “write under or in front of, add,” through the sense of writing publicly.

Etymology

From Middle English proscriben, from Latin prōscrībō (“to proclaim, forbid, banish”).

*per- Proto-Indo-European proscriben Middle English prōscrībō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# proscribe

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /pɹəˈskɹaɪb/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpɹəʊˌskɹaɪb/
**Frequency rank:** 229092

## Meanings
1. To officially forbid or ban something.
2. To condemn or denounce something as unacceptable.

## Examples
- The law proscribes driving while intoxicated.
- The word ‘ain’t’ is proscribed by many language authorities.

## Antonyms
- prescribe

## Derived Forms
- deproscribe
- proscribable
- proscriber

## Related Forms
- proscription
- proscriptive
- proscriptivist

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *per-
- Root: proscriben
- Root: prōscrībō

## Etymology
From Middle English proscriben, from Latin prōscrībō (“to proclaim, forbid, banish”).

## AI Etymology
Proscribe is from Middle English proscriben, from Latin prōscrībō (“to proclaim, forbid, banish”). Important recorded forms include *per- (Proto-Indo-European), proscriben (Middle English), and prōscrībō (Latin). Current senses include to officially forbid or ban something and to condemn or denounce something as unacceptable. The wider family includes derived forms such as deproscribe, proscribable, and proscriber and related words such as proscription, proscriptive, and proscriptivist.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

markdown