Prescriptive

Prescriptive
Prescriptive Pre*scrip"tive, a. [L. praescriptivus of a demurrer or legal exception.] 1. (Law) Consisting in, or acquired by, immemorial or long-continued use and enjoyment; as, a prescriptive right of title; pleading the continuance and authority of long custom. [1913 Webster]

The right to be drowsy in protracted toil has become prescriptive. --J. M. Mason. [1913 Webster]

2. Of or pertaining to the doctrine that acceptable grammatical rules should be prescribed by authority, rather than be determined by common usage. [PJC]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • prescriptive — pre·scrip·tive /pri skrip tiv/ adj 1: serving to prescribe prescriptive rules 2: acquired by, founded on, or constituting prescription a prescriptive right a longer prescriptive period Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law …   Law dictionary

  • prescriptive — (adj.) 1748, from L.L. praescriptivus, from praescriptum, pp. of praescribere (see PRESCRIPTION (Cf. prescription)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • prescriptive — The term is fairly recent (1930s) with reference to language, and denotes a concept of grammar as laying down (or ‘prescribing’) rules rather than observing and describing the language in use (this latter concept being called descriptive) …   Modern English usage

  • prescriptive — ► ADJECTIVE 1) relating to the imposition of a rule or method. 2) (of a right, title, etc.) legally established by long usage. DERIVATIVES prescriptivism noun prescriptivist noun & adjective. ORIGIN Latin praescriptivus relating to a legal… …   English terms dictionary

  • prescriptive — [prē skrip′tiv, priskrip′tiv] adj. [LL praescriptivus] 1. that prescribes 2. based on legal prescription 3. prescribed by custom or long use prescriptively adv …   English World dictionary

  • prescriptive — pre|scrip|tive [prıˈskrıptıv] adj 1.) saying how something should or must be done, or what should be done ▪ prescriptive teaching methods 2.) stating how a language should be used, rather than describing how it is used ≠ ↑descriptive ▪… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • prescriptive — [[t]prɪskrɪ̱ptɪv[/t]] ADJ GRADED A prescriptive approach to something involves telling people what they should do, rather than simply giving suggestions or describing what is done. [FORMAL] ...prescriptive attitudes to language on the part of… …   English dictionary

  • prescriptive — adjective 1 stating or ordering how something should be done or what someone should do: prescriptive teaching methods 2 technical stating how a language should be used, rather than describing how it is used: prescriptive grammar prescriptively… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • prescriptive — adjective Date: 1748 1. serving to prescribe < prescriptive rules of usage > 2. acquired by, founded on, or determined by prescription or by long standing custom • prescriptively adverb …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • prescriptive — prescriptively, adv. prescriptiveness, n. /pri skrip tiv/, adj. 1. that prescribes; giving directions or injunctions: a prescriptive letter from an anxious father. 2. depending on or arising from effective legal prescription, as a right or title… …   Universalium

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