proscriptive

Proscriptive is an adjective describing rules, policies, or norms that prohibit certain actions or forms. A proscriptive statute or policy specifies acts that are forbidden and the penalties for engaging in them. The term is commonly used in legal and administrative contexts, where it contrasts with prescriptive rules that state what should be done. Proscriptive language can appear in codes of conduct, safety regulations, and criminal law, where it marks the boundaries of permissible behavior.

Etymology and usage

The word derives from the verb proscribe, from the Latin proscriptus, the past participle of proscribere, meaning to outlaw or to publish as forbidden. In modern usage, proscriptive describes measures that ban or restrain certain acts, rather than those that instruct or encourage particular actions.

In linguistics and grammar

Some scholars apply proscriptive terminology to constraints that prohibit specific forms or constructions. In this sense, a proscriptive rule would forbid, for example, particular syntactic structures or stylistic forms. This usage is less common than prescriptive terminology, but it appears in discussions of historical reform, normative grammar, or formal constraint systems.

See also

Proscription, prescriptive, prescriptivism, descriptive grammar.