To order the use of (a medicine or other treatment). 1. To establish rules, laws, or directions. 2. To order a medicine or other treatment. [Middle English prescriben, from Latin praescrībere : prae-, pre- + scrībere, to write; see skrībh- in Indo-European roots.] pre·scrib′er n. American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. The meaning of PRESCRIBE is to lay down a rule : dictate. How to use prescribe in a sentence. 2 meanings: 1. recommended by a doctor 2. laid down or recommended formally. Click for more definitions. established or decided beyond dispute or doubt adjective conforming to set usage, procedure, or discipline “in prescribed order” synonyms: official regular in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle prescribed (comparative more prescribed, superlative most prescribed) Of a procedure, specified to a great degree of detail; established as following a strict procedure or set of rules. The doctor prescribed some pills. The doctor prescribed some medicine and told her to have a week's rest. I hoped he would prescribe some stronger pain killers. Is there anything stronger you can prescribe? He wouldn't prescribe anything - just recommended rest. To prescribe is make orders or give directions for something to be done. These days, the word is mainly used by doctors who prescribe medications to take. Doctors do a lot of prescribing: they prescribe drugs, rest, exercise, and getting rid of bad habits like smoking. When a doctor prescribes something, he or she is saying, You need to do this. The product will have to meet internationally prescribed (= demanded) standards. Synonyms for PRESCRIBED: expected, foreseen, fixed, predetermined, predictable, destined, calculated, inevitable; Antonyms of PRESCRIBED: incidental, chance, accidental, casual, inadvertent, unintended, unplanned, unwitting PRESCRIBED definition: dictated or indicated as a rule or course of action to be followed. See examples of prescribed used in a sentence.