Proscribe and prescribe are two of the most commonly confused words in the English language. And no wonder: Their etymologies are nearly identical, their spellings are nearly identical, but their meanings are completely opposite!
To proscribe is to forbid, ban, or denounce. The word comes from the Latin “pro-” (meaning before) and “scribe” (meaning to write). The term described the 16th century practice of posting public notices listing the names of condemned men (they denounced the criminals).
To prescribe, on the other hand, is to order the use of or to set a rule. The word also has Latin origins: “pre-” (meaning before) and “scribe” (meaning to write) – the same origins as the word proscribe. It is from this word that we get the term “prescription”, which is an order to take a certain medicine.
Although you will likely come across “prescribe” far more often than “proscribe”, it’s useful to know the difference. If nothing else, you can pretty much bet that these terms will show up on the SAT or on the GRE.
So remember: Something that is prescribed is mandatory (think “prescription”), and something that is proscribed is banned (think “prohibited”).
