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
- 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.
“I’m sure Nithya Raman doesn’t have citywide name recognition, but that description is really great,” Mitchell said.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
“The light-filled residence was designed for seamless indoor-outdoor living, featuring a spectacular open floor plan,” the description goes on.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026
For each one, I entered a description, chose a colour scheme and waited for version one of the app to be built.
From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026
Mr. Ariosto’s credulous description of warp drives isn’t the only misstep in the book.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
After the fifth door closed in my face, it dawned on me that come tomorrow, I might finally find out whether Frankie’s description of the textile mills had been true.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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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.