description
Americannoun
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a statement or account that describes; representation in words
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the act, process, or technique of describing
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sort, kind, or variety
reptiles of every description
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geometry the act of drawing a line or figure, such as an arc
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philosophy a noun phrase containing a predicate that may replace a name as the subject of a sentence
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of description
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”; see describe) + -iō -ion
Explanation
A description puts something in words, like a portrait puts a person in paint. The lawnmower you came home with did not quite fit the description of the dishwasher you went shopping for. The root for description is the Latin word descriptio, meaning “to write down.” The “script” in description tells you that a good description makes what it describes come to life, like a script for a movie. Your description of that fudge almond swirl ice cream was so good I could taste it! Unfortunately, I'm allergic to nuts.
Vocabulary lists containing description
PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade7)
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 4
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Trump’s latest complaint centered on Welker’s description of his endorsement record.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
Warsh’s description of how he reads the economy and what does and doesn’t concern him mattered most, said Kohn.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Rather than providing the usual textbook answer, he instead gave a colourfully uncomplimentary – and unprintable - description of his own first-half performance.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
They may provide a useful high-level description of behavior without revealing the physical mechanisms producing it.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
Second, Jefferson suggested that Adams’s description of aristocratic power was appropriate for Europe, where feudal privileges, family titles, and more limited economic opportunities created conditions that sustained class distinctions.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Like Mr. Wells before him, Mr. Hoser founded a journal and began publishing new taxonomic descriptions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Police initially struggled to identify suspects, as the descriptions given were generic and a detective compiled an error-ridden photo lineup, according to the center.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
The report offers only general descriptions of how and when it was able to match verifiable information.
From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026
To better understand how the bodies were placed and how the burial chamber evolved, the researchers excavated the space, photographed the mummies, and created detailed sketches and descriptions.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
He dug down through the descriptions of skin changes due to trauma.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
