description

[ dih-skrip-shuhn ]

noun

1. a statement, picture in words, or account that describes; descriptive representation.
2. the act or method of describing.
3. sort; kind; variety:

   dogs of every description.

   Synonyms: ilk, condition, character, nature, species

4. Geometry. the act or process of describing a figure.

description

/ dɪˈskrɪpʃən /

noun

1. a statement or account that describes; representation in words
2. the act, process, or technique of describing
3. sort, kind, or variety

   reptiles of every description

4. geometry the act of drawing a line or figure, such as an arc
5. philosophy a noun phrase containing a predicate that may replace a name as the subject of a sentence

Other Words From

• prede·scription noun
• rede·scription noun
• self-de·scription noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of description¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English descripcioun, from Latin dēscrīptiōn-, stem of dēscrīptiō, from dēscrīpt(us) “described” (past participle of dēscrībere “to copy, draw, transcribe”; describe ) + -iō -ion

Idioms and Phrases

see beggar description .

Example Sentences

She’s got her own description for the recent increase in demand: “the Hump”.

From BBC

At “The Big D,” Golden and comics Shawn Pelofsky, Ismael Loutfi, Christie Campagna and Torrance Hill — all “in various stages of divorce” — invite 12 audience members identifying as, per Golden’s description, “divorced, separated, consciously uncoupled, teetering on the edge, divorce-curious, looking to date a divorced human,” onstage for an interview and speed-date pairing.

From Los Angeles Times

“Kaleidoscope” is a far preferable and more colorful description of Aitken’s ambition here, which takes stunning, impressionistic and often dreamlike images of ordinary people moving through extraordinary California landscapes, and stirs them into seemingly improvised songs as well as familiar minimalist masterpieces by composers like Glass, Steve Reich and Terry Riley.

From Los Angeles Times

On Instagram this week, Ocasio-Cortez asked followers who fit the description to justify their choice.

From Slate

The woman said he fitted the police description of a man who pushed people into the canal in 2022, and she asked him if he was the "canal pusher".

From BBC

Related Words

• characterization
• confession
• definition
• depiction
• detail
• explanation
• information
• narration
• narrative
• picture
• portrayal
• report
• sketch
• statement
• story
• summary
• tale
• version