proscribe
verb
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Proscribe vs. Prescribe
Proscribe and prescribe each have a Latin-derived prefix that means "before" attached to the verb "scribe" (from scribere, meaning "to write"). Yet the two words have very distinct, often nearly opposite meanings. Why? In a way, you could say it's the law. In the 15th and 16th centuries both words had legal implications. To proscribe was to publish the name of a person who had been condemned, outlawed, or banished. To prescribe meant "to lay down a rule," including legal rules or orders.
Examples of proscribe in a Sentence
Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025
If only Wolverine could make good on his threat to deal with the offender in the manner proscribed.
—Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Dec. 2024
Western forces should not be deployed to fight in Ukraine, and the use of Western weapons against civilian targets within Russia should be proscribed.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 12 Sep. 2024
See, for instance, the efforts to mitigate the harms of drug use as opposed to proscribing individuals’ activities.
—Christine Emba, The Atlantic, 8 July 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Proscribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proscribe. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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proscribe
transitive verb
Latin proscribere to publish, proscribe, from pro- before + scribere to write
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