Prescribe versus Proscribe: Know the Difference

Prescribe versus Proscribe: Know the Difference

**Prescribe versus Proscribe: Understanding the Difference**

In ancient times, when people fell ill, healers recommended specific **prescribed** remedies. This is how the word “prescribe” came to be. Think of it as a doctor **prescribing** medicine to make someone feel better.

*Prescribe*
1. The doctor will **prescribe** antibiotics for your infection.
2. It is important to follow the **prescribed** dosage of the medication.
3. The teacher will **prescribe** certain books for you to read over the summer.
4. My optometrist **prescribed** reading glasses for better vision.
5. The chef will **prescribe** the ingredients needed to cook the recipe.

*Proscribe*, however, has a different background. In the past, rulers would forbid certain actions and goods. This act of forbidding something led to the word “proscribe.”

*Proscribe*
1. The school **proscribes** the use of cell phones during class.
2. The company **proscribes** employees from sharing confidential information.
3. The law **proscribes** speeding on the highway.
4. The library **proscribes** eating inside its premises.
5. The religion **proscribes** the consumption of alcohol.

**Trick to Remember the Difference:**
Think of “prescribe” as giving instructions for something good, like medicine to make you feel better, while “proscribe” is about forbidding something, like rules that stop you from doing certain things.

**In Summary,**
– **Prescribe** means to recommend, advise, or order something to be taken or done.
– **Proscribe** means to forbid, ban, or denounce something.