Word: proscribe

Associations

"Proscribe" means to officially forbid something or to declare something illegal. It is often used in legal or formal contexts.

• In many countries, laws proscribe the use of certain drugs. (This means those drugs are illegal.)
• The school decided to proscribe the use of mobile phones during classes. (This means students are not allowed to use mobile phones in class.)
• Many sports proscribe performance-enhancing drugs to ensure fair play. (This means these drugs are forbidden in the context of sports.)

A well-known synonym is "forbid." The difference is that "forbid" is more general and can be used in everyday conversation, while "proscribe" is more formal and often relates to legal or official decisions.

Substitution

Possible alternatives to "proscribe" include:

• "Ban" (which is more general and can be used in casual contexts)
• "Outlaw" (which often refers to a law)
• "Prohibit" (which is similar in meaning but can be used in a broader range of contexts)

Using these alternatives may change the formality of the statement or the focus of the prohibition.

Deconstruction

The word "proscribe" comes from the Latin "proscribere," where "pro-" means "before" and "scribere" means "to write." Thus, it literally means "to write out" before, as in to announce publicly that something is forbidden.

Understanding its Latin roots helps to see that "proscribe" is about making a public declaration against something.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a situation where something is proscribed? How did it affect the people involved?
• Have you ever faced a rule that seemed too strict or unfair? How did you feel about it?
• In your opinion, are there things that should definitely be proscribed? Why or why not?