Meanings
noundescription (countable and uncountable, plural descriptions)
plural descriptions
- countableuncountableA 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 realistic description
1 more example
give a verbal description of the events
Synonyms: portrait
- countableuncountableThe act of describing; a delineation by marks or signs.
- countableuncountableSort, kind.
A dealership with cars of every description
- countableuncountablebiologyA scientific documentation of a taxon for the purpose of introducing it to science.
The type description of the fungus was written by a botanist.
- countableuncountablehuman sciencesThe 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.
- countableuncountablehuman sciencesA descriptive linguistic survey.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA sketch or account of anything in words; a portraiture or representation in language; an enumeration of the essential qualities of a thing or species.
Similar
nounA set of characteristics by which someone or something can be recognized.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latindēscrīptiō
- Old Frenchdescription
- Middle Englishdescripcioun
- Englishdescription
From Middle English descripcioun, from Old French description and its etymon, Latin dēscrīptiō, noun of action of dēscrībō (“to describe”). Equivalent to describe + -tion.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἔκφρασις, περιήγησις
- ἔκφρασις (ékphrasis)account in words
- περιήγησις (periḗgēsis)account in words
Arabic وَصْف, تَوْصِيف
- وَصْف (waṣf)account in words
- تَوْصِيف (tawṣīf)account in words
- تَصْوِير (taṣwīr)account in words
- تَفْصِيل (tafṣīl)account in words
Bengali বয়ান
- বয়ান (boẏan)account in words
Bulgarian описа́ние, описа́ние
- описа́ние (opisánie)account in words
- описа́ние (opisánie)set of characteristics
Catalan descripció
- descripcióaccount in words
Chinese Mandarin 描寫 /描写, 描述
- 描寫 /描写 (miáoxiě)account in words
- 描述 (miáoshù)account in words
Czech popis
- popisaccount in words
Danish beskrivelse
- beskrivelseaccount in words
Dutch beschrijving, descriptie
- beschrijvingaccount in words
- descriptieaccount in words
Esperanto priskribo
- priskriboaccount in words
Estonian kirjeldus, kirjeldamine
- kirjeldusaccount in words
- kirjeldamineact of describing
Finnish kuvaus, selitys
- kuvausaccount in words
- selitysaccount in words
- kuvailuact of describing
- kuvaaminenact of describing
- määritelmäset of characteristics
- kuvaustaxonomy: scientific documentation of a taxon
- kuvailulinguistics: act or practice of recording and describing actual language usage
- kuvaileva tutkimuslinguistics: descriptive linguistic survey
French description, signalement
- descriptionaccount in words
- signalementset of characteristics
German Beschreibung, Deskription
- Beschreibungaccount in words
- Deskriptionaccount in words
Greek περιγραφή
- περιγραφή (perigrafí)account in words
Hebrew תיאור \ תֵּאוּר
- תיאור \ תֵּאוּר (te'ur)account in words
Hindi विवरण, वर्णन
- विवरण (vivraṇ)account in words
- वर्णन (varṇan)account in words
- व्याख्या (vyākhyā)account in words
- विवरण (vivraṇ)act of describing
- व्याख्या (vyākhyā)act of describing
Hungarian leírás, leírás
- leírásaccount in words
- leírásset of characteristics
- személyleírásset of characteristics
Icelandic lýsing
- lýsingaccount in words
Indonesian deskripsi
- deskripsiaccount in words
Irish comharthaí, comharthaí aithne
- comharthaíset of characteristics
- comharthaí aithneset of characteristics
- comharthaí sóirtset of characteristics
Italian descrizione
- descrizioneaccount in words
Japanese 記述, 説明
- 記述 (kijutsu)account in words
- 説明 (setsumei)account in words
- 描写 (byōsha)account in words
- 記載 (kisai)taxonomy: scientific documentation of a taxon
Korean 묘사, 기술
- 묘사 (myosa)account in words
- 기술 (gisul)account in words
- 서술 (seosul)account in words
- 설명 (seolmyeong)account in words
Latin dēscrīptiō
- dēscrīptiōaccount in words
Latvian apraksts, attēlojums
- aprakstsaccount in words
- attēlojumsaccount in words
Lithuanian aprašymas, apibūdinimas
- aprašymasaccount in words
- apibūdinimasact of describing
Māori whakaahuatanga
- whakaahuatangaaccount in words
Norwegian Bokmål beskrivelse
- beskrivelseaccount in words
Polish opis
- opisaccount in words
Portuguese descrição
- descriçãoaccount in words
Romanian descripție, descriere
- descripțieaccount in words
- descriereaccount in words
Russian описа́ние, описа́ние
- описа́ние (opisánije)account in words
- описа́ние (opisánije)act of describing
- описа́ние (opisánije)set of characteristics
Scottish Gaelic tuairisgeul, tuairisgeul
- tuairisgeulaccount in words
- tuairisgeulset of characteristics
Slovak popis
- popisaccount in words
Spanish descripción, señalamiento
- descripciónaccount in words
- señalamientoset of characteristics
Swedish beskrivning, signalement
- beskrivningaccount in words
- signalementset of characteristics
Tagalog paglalarawan, deskripsyon
- paglalarawanaccount in words
- deskripsyonaccount in words
Thai การพรรณนา, การพรรณนา
- การพรรณนา (gaan-pan-ná-naa)account in words
- การพรรณนา (gaan-pan-ná-naa)act of describing
Turkish tanım, tavsif
- tanımaccount in words
- tavsifaccount in words
- tasviraccount in words
- tasviract of describing
- vasifset of characteristics
Ukrainian о́пис
- о́пис (ópys)account in words
Urdu بَیان, تَعْرِیف
- بَیان (bayān)account in words
- تَعْرِیف (ta'rīf)account in words
- وَصْف (vasf)account in words
Vietnamese sự miêu tả, sự mô tả
- sự miêu tảaccount in words
- sự mô tảaccount in words
Yiddish באַשרײַבונג, באַשרײַבעכץ
- באַשרײַבונג (bashraybung)account in words
- באַשרײַבעכץ (bashraybekhts)account in words
- באַשרײַבונג (bashraybung)set of characteristics
- באַשרײַבעכץ (bashraybekhts)set of characteristics
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
description. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/description
MLA
“description.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/description. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “description,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/description.
Source: description on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.