obsolete prescribes true It would need further development, but it is not used by any other terms. Neil J. Otte OBSOLETE A primitive, instance-level, relation obtaining between an information content entity and some portion of reality. Prescribing is what happens when an information content entity created, ratified, or issued by an entity with authority over the domain the ICE targets states actions or specifications or the omission of actions that are expected to be adhered to.