Prescribe vs Proscribe
prescribe
to recommend/order
proscribe
to forbid/ban
How to tell them apart
PREscribe = the doctor writes a PRESCRIPTION FOR you (recommend/order). PROscribe = PROhibit; it bans the thing. PRE = for you; PRO = prohibit.
Test yourself
Fill in the blank: “Only one of these words means to recommend/order. That word is ______.”
Choose: prescribe or proscribe
Show answer
Answer: prescribe
Prescribe means to recommend/order, which matches to recommend/order. Proscribe means to forbid/ban, so it is the wrong choice here.
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