proscribe
/ˈpɹoʊˌskɹaɪb/verb
proscribe is spelled P-R-O-S-C-R-I-B-E: 9 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 15 million words in written English, the 117,098th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “prescribe vs proscribe” about 590 times a month (Google, United States). As a verb, proscribe means “To forbid or prohibit” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in proscribe?
| Letters | 9: P-R-O-S-C-R-I-B-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 15 million words; the 117,098th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How common is proscribe?
Proscribe appears about once in every 15 million words in written English, the 117,098th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce proscribe?
- /pɹəˈskɹaɪb/
- UK /ˈpɹəʊskɹaɪb/
- US /ˈpɹoʊˌskɹaɪb/
Proscribe has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-proscribe.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with proscribe
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of proscribe
- proscribes present, singular, he/she/it
- proscribing participle, present
- proscribed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does proscribe mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To forbid or prohibit.
The law proscribes driving a car while intoxicated.
- 2
To denounce.
The word ‘ain't’ is proscribed by many authorities.
- 3
To banish or exclude.
Many Roman citizens were proscribed for taking part in rebellions.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Proscribe in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | bannir, exclure , dénoncer, déconseiller , interdire, proscrire |
| German | verbannen, ächten , verbieten |
| Portuguese | banir , proscrever, proibir |
| Spanish | proscribir |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does proscribe come from?
From Middle English proscriben, from Latin prōscrībō (“to proclaim, forbid, banish”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).