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proscriptive

proscriptive

1 9.5
To ban people or groups officially, often for political reasons
  • adjective
  • /prəˈskrɪptɪv/
  • Formal
: proscriptivo
  • The school implemented proscriptive rules to prevent bullying and protect students.

Examples

  • Proscriptive groups include most fundamentalist and evangelical Protestant churches, as well as neo-Protestant, sectarian groups (e.g., Mormons or Latter Day Saints).

    Academic text (2008)
  • The government introduced proscriptive measures to limit the activities of extremist groups.

  • By their very nature, they raise questions about the extent to which they are reactive, proscriptive, or descriptive.

    Academic text (2018)
  • Historical records show that proscriptive laws were often used to silence dissenting voices during the regime.

Synonyms

repressive
vsproscriptive
32 7.0

Limiting people's freedom to speak or act

focuses on formal banning and punishment rather than broad restriction
exclusionist
vsproscriptive
  • Offensive
1 8.5

Supporting rules that keep certain people from joining a group

is about formal bans and punishments carried out by authorities

Antonyms

85 4.1

Including all the things or people mentioned, even the limits

39 3.6

Willing to welcome new ideas, people, or situations without judging them

How Punitive

repressive
32 7.0
proscriptive
  • Formal
1 9.5
punitive
  • Formal
63 7.0
stern
64 4.3
lenient
31 4.4

Surface Forms

proscriptive positive

Morphology

proscriptive = proscribe (transparent) = proscribe + ive

Derived from 'proscribe' + '-ive'; the adjective meaning 'relating to banning or exclusion' is a direct adjectival formation.

Etymology

Proscriptive comes from the Latin parts pro- and scribere, where scribere means 'to write' and the same root appears in scribe and script. In the past, rulers would 'write down' the names of people to be banned or punished, so proscriptive means 'officially banning or excluding' people or groups, often for political reasons.