Meaning & use

prescription

noun·Everyday

A written instruction from a doctor authorizing a patient to receive a specific medicine or treatment.

See it in a sentence

The doctor wrote a prescription for antibiotics to treat the infection.

He picked up his prescription from the pharmacy on his way home.

A note on using this word

Medicines that require a prescription are called 'prescription drugs,' as opposed to 'over-the-counter' medicines that do not.

Words with a similar meaning

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