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description

American  
[dih-skrip-shuhn] / dɪˈskrɪp ʃən /

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 British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
description Idioms  

  1. see beggar description.

Other Word Forms

  • predescription noun
  • redescription noun
  • self-description noun

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”; describe ) + -iō -ion

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.

In one instance, he asked me to do a task that wasn’t in my job description.

From MarketWatch

Mr. Steiner was put in the awkward position of disavowing his own private journal’s description of events.

From The Wall Street Journal

The bar has asked for three batches of records from the county — lawsuits, detailed descriptions of the abuse and certificates from mental health professionals.

From Los Angeles Times

Its emotional descriptions of slavery’s injustices caught the public’s attention.

From Literature

Put the job description and company website into an AI system and ask specific questions like "What are the top five things this employer is looking for?" suggests Ghislaine Dell.

From BBC

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.