Synonyms of prescriptive

prescriptive

adjective

pri-ˈskrip-tiv 

as in traditional

based on customs usually handed down from a previous generation

even in this age of e-mail the prescriptive response to a wedding gift is a handwritten thank-you note

Synonyms & Similar Words

• traditional
• customary
• conventional
• classical
• usual
• historical
• authentic
• old
• historic
• common
• orthodox
• established
• habitual
• ancestral
• fixed
• ancient
• old-world
• hoary
• timeless
• antediluvian
• old-time
• immemorial
• venerable
• age-old
• aged
• ageless
• dateless

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• nontraditional
• unconventional
• modern
• new
• contemporary
• untraditional
• current
• up-to-date
• present-day
• new age
• updated
• modernized
• uncustomary
• modernistic
• latest
• futuristic
• progressive
• high-tech
• newfangled
• revolutionary
• unusual
• original
• hot
• state-of-the-art
• ultramodern
• unorthodox
• unprecedented
• red-hot
• mod
• nonconformist
• new-fashioned
• supermodern
• space-age
• nonorthodox

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of prescriptive

Clubs had previously been provided with an implementation roadmap for a security baseline that was described in 2024 as non-prescriptive, but the 2026-27 rules introduce formal requirements and deadlines that clubs must meet. — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

The designer’s favorite art pieces feel collected, considered, and personal rather than prescriptive. — Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Aug. 2026

Whether someone wants an all-biodynamic pairing, drinks only red wine, has a modest budget or hopes to experience some of the world's rarest bottles, the program is designed to be flexible rather than prescriptive. — Yuri Shima, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026

Nilsson’s debut feature is a tender, unflinching portrait of self-performance, identity, and learning to exist as oneself in an often prescriptive world. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 21 July 2026