'Prescriptive' definitions:
Definition of 'prescriptive'
(from WordNet)
adjective
Pertaining to giving directives or rules; "prescriptive grammar is concerned with norms of or rules for correct usage" [syn: prescriptive, normative] [ant: descriptive]
Definition of 'Prescriptive'
From: GCIDE
- 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]
Synonyms of 'prescriptive'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- absolute,
- accepted,
- accustomed,
- acknowledged,
- admitted,
- authoritarian,
- authoritative,
- autocratic,
- average,
- binding,
- canonical,
- commanding,
- common,
- commonplace,
- compelling,
- compulsory,
- conclusive,
- conformable,
- constrictive,
- consuetudinary,
- conventional,
- current,
- customary,
- decisive,
- decretal,
- decretive,
- decretory,
- dictated,
- dictating,
- dictatorial,
- didactic,
- directive,
- dogmatic,
- entailed,
- established,
- ethnocentric,
- everyday,
- exceptional,
- excluding,
- exclusive,
- exclusory,
- familiar,
- final,
- fixed,
- folk,
- formulary,
- generally accepted,
- habitual,
- hallowed,
- handed down,
- hard and fast,
- hard-and-fast,
- heroic,
- hoary,
- household,
- immemorial,
- imperative,
- imperious,
- imposed,
- inadmissible,
- instructive,
- insular,
- inveterate,
- irrevocable,
- jussive,
- legendary,
- long-established,
- long-standing,
- mandated,
- mandating,
- mandatory,
- must,
- mythological,
- narrow,
- normal,
- normative,
- obligating,
- obligatory,
- obtaining,
- of long standing,
- of the folk,
- official,
- oral,
- ordinary,
- overbearing,
- parochial,
- peremptory,
- popular,
- preceptive,
- preclusive,
- predominating,
- prescribed,
- prescript,
- prevailing,
- prevalent,
- preventive,
- prohibitive,
- received,
- recognized,
- regular,
- regulation,
- required,
- restrictive,
- rooted,
- rubric,
- seclusive,
- segregative,
- select,
- selective,
- separative,
- set,
- snobbish,
- standard,
- statutory,
- stock,
- time-honored,
- traditional,
- tried and true,
- true-blue,
- ultimate,
- understood,
- universal,
- unwritten,
- usual,
- venerable,
- vernacular,
- widespread,
- without appeal,
- wonted,
- worshipful,
- xenophobic