prescrevem

Prescrevem is a Portuguese verb form used in various contexts. Grammatically, it is the third-person plural present indicative of the verb prescrever, which means to prescribe, to order in the sense of issuing a medical prescription, or to lay down rules. The verb prescrever itself comes from Latin praescribere, literally “to write beforehand.”

In medical usage, prescrevem appears when clinicians or health authorities state that medications or treatments are being issued. For example: médicos prescrevem antibióticos. This sense is common in both European and Brazilian Portuguese, though regional phrasing may vary (for instance, você/ele prescreve in the singular, and nós prescrevemos in the first-person plural).

In legal and administrative contexts, prescrever can mean to lapse or expire a time limit, such that a right or claim is extinguished after a given period. In this sense, prescrevem can appear in statements about rights, debts, or legal actions becoming void due to prescription. For example: as dívidas prescrevem após o prazo estabelecido pela lei.

Conjugation notes: besides prescrevem, the present indicative forms include eu prescrevo, tu prescreves (or você prescreve), ele prescreve, nós prescrevemos, vós prescreveis (less common in modern speech), eles prescrevem. The exact form of the second-person singular and the use of vós vary by regional variety (Brazilian, European, and African Portuguese).