- (formal)
telling people what should be done 指定的；规定的 prescriptive methods of teaching 灌输式教学法
- (
linguistics 语言学 telling people how a language should be used, rather than describing how it is used 规定的；规范的 a prescriptive grammar of English 英语的规定性语法
- (specialist)
(of rights and institutions 权利和制度 made legal or acceptable because they have existed for a long time 约定俗成的；相沿成习的 prescriptive powers 相沿成习的权力
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’.