In its most general sense, prescriptivism is the view that one variety of language has an inherently higher value than others, and that this ought to be imposed on the whole of the speech community.

This paper attempts to illustrate the important role of costume in the whole opera performance from three aspects-symbolism, prescriptivism, and the nature of dance.

Firstly, the thesis illustrates the commonly used principles in the work of dictionary-making: prescriptivism and descriptivism, and studies each principle thoroughly.