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.
He praised John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath” for its descriptions of capitalist exploitation and Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” for the light it shed on slavery in the U.S.
No presidential order has been issued to send any ships of any description to the island nation in the North Atlantic — and even more to the point, none was needed.
From Salon
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.
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
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.
