In general, the word prescriptive refers to refer to normative judgments, i.e. judgments about what is good or bad, such as:

  • Prescriptive analytics, third and final phase of business analytics
  • Linguistic prescriptivism, the laying down of normative language rules
  • Prescriptive (normative) economics, branch of economics that incorporates value judgments
  • Prescriptive ethics, as distinct from meta-ethics and descriptive ethics
  • Prescriptive mood, a grammatical mood used in some languages

Other uses include:

Health care

  • Medical prescription, a plan of care written by a physician or other health care professional
  • Prescription drug, a drug available only if prescribed by a medical prescription
  • Eyeglass prescription, written by an ophthalmologist or an optometrist for individuals with eye related concerns

Law

  • Customary law, a right enjoyed through long use
  • Easement#By prescription, acquisition of private property rights through uncontested use
  • Prescription (sovereignty transfer), acquisition of sovereignty through uncontested use
  • Statute of limitations#Prescription, in civil law jurisdictions, the time limit within which a lawsuit must be brought
  • Prescribed sum, the maximum fine that may be imposed on summary conviction of certain offences in the United Kingdom
  • Prescribed senior official, an individual who will be refused admission into Canada because of war crimes or crimes against humanity

Other uses

  • Prescriptive barony, a "feudal" barony in Scotland
  • Prescriptive notation, a type of Chinese musical notation

See also

  • Prescription Act 1832, United Kingdom
  • Proscription, word sometimes confused with prescription