description

noun

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.

A set of characteristics by which someone or something can be recognized.

The act of describing; a delineation by marks or signs.

(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.

(linguistics) A descriptive linguistic survey.

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

Roots

scriboscript- · Latin · write

Synonyms for description

depictionn portrayaln characterizationn explanationn definitionn delineationn picturen reportn narrationn designationn

Synonyms & related words for description

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of description — including depiction, portrayal, characterization, explanation, definition, delineation. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to description

Explore words related to description — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include describing, descriptive, describes, summary, overview, synopsis, described, summariness. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for description

Common synonyms for description include depiction, portrayal, characterization, explanation, definition, delineation, picture, report — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does description come from?

The word description breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root script-, from Latin scribo (“write”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.