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.

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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

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description Idioms  

1. see beggar description.

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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

In his testimony, Powell said that such descriptions of the work were mischaracterized.

From The Wall Street Journal

“California Courier offers statewide and local news,” the page’s description reads.

From Los Angeles Times

"We do not carry out DNA testing, so we relied on the description provided at that time," he added.

From BBC

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey disputed Noem’s description of events leading up to the shooting.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead, she suggests an exercise called "scanning" - narrowing your search down to job descriptions that sound interesting to you.

From BBC

Related Words

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