a. [ L. praescriptus, p. p. of praescribere: cf. F. prescrit. See Prescribe. ] Directed; prescribed. “ A prescript from of words.” Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ L. praescriptum: cf. OF. prescript. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
n. The quality or state of being prescriptible. Story. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. [ Cf. F. prescriptible. ] Depending on, or derived from, prescription; proper to be prescribed. Grafton. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ F. prescription, L. praescriptio, an inscription, preface, precept, demurrer, prescription (in sense 3), fr. praescribere. See Prescribe. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
That profound reverence for law and prescription which has long been characteristic of Englishmen. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]
☞ Prescription differs from custom, which is a local usage, while prescription is personal, annexed to the person only. Prescription only extends to incorporeal rights, such as a right of way, or of common. What the law gives of common rights is not the subject of prescription. Blackstone. Cruise. Kent. In Scotch law, prescription is employed in the sense in which limitation is used in England and America, namely, to express that operation of the lapse of time by which obligations are extinguished or title protected. Sir T. Craig. Erskine. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. [ L. praescriptivus of a demurrer or legal exception. ]
The right to be drowsy in protracted toil has become prescriptive. J. M. Mason. [ 1913 Webster ]
adv. By prescription. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. The doctrine that acceptable grammatical rules should be prescribed by authority, rather than be determined by common usage. [ PJC ]
n. A person who believes that acceptable practices should be prescribed by an authority rather than be determined by the usage of the general public; especially, a supporter of prescriptive{ 2 } rules of grammar; -- also used attributively, as