Prescribed

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /pɹəˈskɹaɪbd/

Definitions

1. Dictated by an authority as a rule or law ; advised by a professional such as a doctor for treatment or use
2. Imposed by official or legal command ; suggested by an expert for proper care or action
3. Set down as a standard requirement by an organization or law ; recommended by a specialist for health or safety purposes

Etymology: "Prescribed" is the past tense and past participle of "prescribe," which comes from the Latin "praescribere," meaning "to write before." In Roman law, the verb could mean to set out a condition or limit in advance, and that legal sense of a rule fixed in writing ahead of time carried into English as the idea of laying down an authoritative rule. The medical sense, a doctor writing out a remedy, grew from the same root. A prescription is an instruction set down in writing, and the verb took on that meaning as written orders for treatment became standard practice.

Synonyms: ordered, recommended, designated

Antonyms: prohibited, banned