proscriptive

American  

[proh-skrip-tiv] / proʊˈskrɪp tɪv /

adjective

1. involving, imposing, or defining limits or prohibitions.

   We want the guidelines to be useful, broadly applicable, and not overly proscriptive and narrow.

   Rather than a proscriptive diet, in which the patient is limited to eating certain foods and measured portions, we encourage eating a wide range of foods in moderation.

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Other Word Forms

• nonproscriptive adjective
• nonproscriptively adverb
• proscriptively adverb
• unproscriptive adjective
• unproscriptively adverb

Etymology

Origin of proscriptive

First recorded in 1740–50; from Latin prōscript-, stem of prōscrībere “to publish in writing” ( proscribe ( def. ) ) + -ive ( def. )

Example Sentences

Viewed this way, minding our p’s and q’s is less about proscriptive notions of correctness, and more about mindfulness, self-discovery and proper conduct.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 7, 2023

I don't want to be too proscriptive to what listeners should be seeing or feeling or thinking.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2022

“You can be anyone you want to be, free from proscriptive constructs and sensory needs,” said Lucie Greene, the founder of Light Years, a futures and brand strategy firm.

From New York Times • Jan. 20, 2022

How do we encourage and foster greater inclusivity in the arts and arts journalism without falling into a rigidly proscriptive approach?

From Slate • Dec. 30, 2020

Another element in the deceptive policy of Waldeck-Rousseau was the endeavor to bolster his proscriptive laws upon the assertion that they were intended to protect the secular clergy from the encroachments of the regulars.

From The War Upon Religion Being an Account of the Rise and Progress of Anti-christianism in Europe by Cunningham, Francis A. (Francis Aloysius)

Related Words

• excessive
• exorbitant
• preposterous
• steep