description

English Online Dictionary. What means description‎? What does description mean?

English

Etymology

From Old French description, from Latin dēscrīptiō, noun of action of dēscrībō (“I describe”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dɪˈskɹɪpʃən/

Noun

description (countable and uncountable, plural descriptions)

1. A sketch or account of anything in words; a portraiture or representation in language; an enumeration of the essential qualities of a thing or species.

2. The act of describing; a delineation by marks or signs.
3. A set of characteristics by which someone or something can be recognized.

4. (taxonomy) A scientific documentation of a taxon for the purpose of introducing it to science.

5. (linguistics) The act or practice of recording and describing actual language usage in a given speech community, as opposed to prescription, i.e. laying down norms of language usage.
6. (linguistics) A descriptive linguistic survey.

Synonyms

• (characteristics): sort, kind, type, variety

Derived terms

Related terms

• describe
• descriptive

Translations

See also

• prescription
• descriptivism

Further reading

• “description”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “description”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

See also

• synopsis
• interpretation

Anagrams

• discerption, predictions

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dēscriptiōnem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɛs.kʁip.sjɔ̃/
• Homophone: descriptions

Noun

description f (plural descriptions)

1. description

Related terms

• décrire
• descriptif

Further reading

• “description”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Old French

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin dēscriptiō.

Noun

description oblique singular, f (oblique plural descriptions, nominative singular description, nominative plural descriptions)

1. description

Related terms

• descrivre