Prescript

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpɹiːskɹɪpt/

Definitions

1. A written instruction or rule placed before the main body of a text ; to officially authorize or direct someone to do something
2. An introductory statement or rule that precedes the main content ; to give authoritative orders or guidelines for action
3. A preliminary written directive or regulation at the start of a document ; to command or specify what must be done by official mandate

Etymology: "Prescript" is built from the Latin "praescriptum," the neuter past participle of "praescribere," meaning "to write before" or "to write in advance." The Latin verb combined "prae-," "before," with "scribere," "to write," so the word's core idea is literally a line written ahead of something else. English took the form from Old French "prescript," which had already carried the Latin word across the Channel. The English word thus keeps the sense of something set down in writing before the main body of a text, such as a preface or an opening rule. Its second meaning, to officially direct or authorize someone to act, grows from the same root: a prescribed course is one laid down in advance, and to prescribe is to lay down a rule that others must follow.

Synonyms: directive, mandate