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Definition of "preceptive" [pre•cep•tive]

  • Of, relating to, or expressing a rule or principle that prescribes a particular course of action or conduct. (adjective)
  • Instructive; didactic. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "preceptive" in a sentence
  • "Mr. Bradley (not a rocket scientist and not too preceptive) also claims to know what others have failed to notice."
  • "The basis of the punishment is the rationale of a law, or the preceptive aspect of a law."
  • "Norris divides a law into a preceptive and a punitive element."