English Dictionary

PRESCRIPTIVE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does prescriptive mean? 

PRESCRIPTIVE (adjective)
  The adjective PRESCRIPTIVE has 1 sense:

1. pertaining to giving directives or rulesplay

  Familiarity information: PRESCRIPTIVE used as an adjective is very rare.


 Dictionary entry details 


PRESCRIPTIVE (adjective)


Sense 1

Meaning:

Pertaining to giving directives or rules

Synonyms:

normative; prescriptive

Context example:

prescriptive grammar is concerned with norms of or rules for correct usage

Domain category:

grammar (the branch of linguistics that deals with syntax and morphology (and sometimes also deals with semantics))

Antonym:

descriptive (of or relating to an approach to linguistic analysis that aims at the description of a language's forms, structures and usage)

Derivation:

prescribe (issue commands or orders for)


 Context examples 


It had such a prescriptive, stiff-necked, long-established, solemn, elderly air.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)



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