prescriptively.

In a way that recommends or lays down how something ought to be done.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• prescriptively defined
• prescriptively used

On the page

The handbook used the term prescriptively to establish a preferred standard.

The essay criticized the policy prescriptively rather than merely reporting its effects.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Invariable adverb; no plural or tense forms. Comparison is used only where a particular degree naturally permits it. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: inference, qualification, analysis, methodology. Disciplines: academic writing, reasoning, research. Commonness: uncommon.