Meanings
phrasepro re nata (abbreviation PRN)
abbreviation PRN
- Dealing with something that arises unexpectedly or out of due course; for special business.
- medicineUsed on medical charts by doctors to indicate that actions may be taken at the discretion of nursing staff depending on the patient's condition.
- medicineUsed on prescriptions to indicate that the medicines may be taken if and when the patients feel the need.
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbaccording to need (physicians use PRN in writing prescriptions)
Similar
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From the Latin phrase pro (“for”) rē (“thing, matter”) nātā (“born, arisen”): "for what arises".
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
pro re nata. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pro%20re%20nata
MLA
“pro re nata.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pro%20re%20nata. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pro re nata,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pro%20re%20nata.
Source: pro re nata on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.