prescriptivist

[ pri-skrip-tuh-vist ]

noun

1. a writer, teacher, or supporter of prescriptive grammar.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or based on prescriptive grammar.

Other Words From

• pre·scriptiv·ism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of prescriptivist¹

First recorded in 1950–55; prescriptive + -ist

Example Sentences

To behold a grammatical descriptivist at war with a grammatical prescriptivist who happens to be her twin is truly an uncommon pleasure.

From New York Times

If we’re looking for prescriptivist or correct rules for emoji, we might consider the perspective of Shigetaka Kurita, the Japanese designer who has been credited as creating the first widely used set of 176 emoji in 1999.

From Slate

One prescriptivist example from English was the long-standing but dubious rule that it’s wrong to end a sentence with a preposition like “to” or “from.”

From Slate

Lionel Shriver, by contrast to McCulloch, is a prescriptivist.

From The New Yorker

Some purists consider it a “desecration” Kendall isn’t a total prescriptivist when it comes to restoring vintage cars, though.

From The Verge