A description of someone or something is an account which explains what they are or what they look like.
Police have issued a description of the man who was aged between fifty and sixty. [+ of]
They send out detailed descriptions of the job with the application forms.
He has a real gift for vivid description.
2. singular noun
If something is of a particular description, it belongs to the general class of items that are mentioned.
...the oldest Catholic church of any description in England.
Events of this description occurred daily.
Synonyms: kind, sort, type, order More Synonyms of description
3. uncountable noun
You can say that something is beyonddescription, or that it defies description, to emphasize that it is very unusual, impressive, terrible, or extreme.
[emphasis]
His face is weary beyond description.
We were in a disaster situation that defies description.
More Synonyms of description
description in British English
(dɪˈskrɪpʃən)
noun
1.
a statement or account that describes; representation in words
2.
the act, process, or technique of describing
3.
sort, kind, or variety
reptiles of every description
4. geometry
the act of drawing a line or figure, such as an arc
5. philosophy
a noun phrase containing a predicate that may replace a name as the subject of a sentence
description in American English
(dɪˈskrɪpʃən)
noun
1.
the act, process, art, or technique of describing or picturing in words
2.
a statement or passage that describes
3.
sort, kind, or variety
books of every description
4.
the act of tracing or outlining
the description of a circle
Word origin
ME descripcioun < OFr description < L descriptio, a marking out, delineation < pp. of describere
COBUILD Collocations
description
apt description
defy description
detailed description
fair description
graphic description
match the description
vivid description
Examples of 'description' in a sentence
description
TV NAME and job description of the week?
The Sun (2016)
We just got detailed plot descriptions so it was very stressful.
The Sun (2014)
This chapter contains a short description of past and present urbanization trends.
Tomlinson, Richard Urbanization in Post-Apartheid South Africa (1990)
His characters are so vivid and his descriptions so lifelike.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
That description may sound familiar to you.
Larry Downes THE STRATEGY MACHINE (2002)
The description fitted both man and dog.
Ben Macintyre JOSIAH THE GREAT: The True Story of The Man Who Would Be King (2004)
Sometimes the lists of names and descriptions of performance are particularly tempting.
The Times Literary Supplement (2013)
This sort of detailed description is of limited use.
Sanderson, Stephen K. Macrosociology: An Introduction to Human Societies (1995)
The descriptions are short and to the point.
Eddison, Sydney A Patchwork Garden: Unexpected Pleasures from a Country Garden (1990)
But you should read it for its vivid descriptions of storm.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Such a description may have more than geographical significance.
Redwood, John The Global Marketplace (1993)
Perhaps the best description of the man is from the driver.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
He was also able to give police a detailed description.
The Sun (2009)
She provided police with a false name and description when asked to identify who had been driving her car.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Detectives want to screen 4,000 local men matching the general description of the suspect.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Write your minute description and detailed perception of the parts that you perceive to be the most significant for an understanding of the work.
Bachmann, Susan (editor) & Barth, Melinda Between Worlds: A Reader, Rhetoric and Handbook (1995)
A short verbal description of the point location is also provided in the text.
Lewith, George & Horn, Sandra Drug-Free Pain Relief (1987)
Before you read the rest of this section, write down a description of a friend or an acquaintance.
Bee, Helen The Developing Child (7th edn.) (1995)
So much for general description.
Kantrow, Alan M. The Constraints of Corporate Tradition (1987)
He does not take us into the councils of demons and angels, he provides no descriptions of pitched battles between opposing hosts.
Christianity Today (2000)
And I doubt anybody fits that particular description.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Some of the best descriptions of the process came from visiting Romans and Greeks.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The description says: 'They may have won but we had the last laugh.
The Sun (2011)
In other languages
description
British English: description /dɪˈskrɪpʃən/ NOUN
A description of someone or something is a statement which explains what they are or what they look like.
Each disc has a short description of the music on it.
American English: description
Arabic: وَصْف
Brazilian Portuguese: descrição
Chinese: 描述
Croatian: opis
Czech: popis
Danish: beskrivelse
Dutch: beschrijving
European Spanish: descripción
Finnish: kuvaus kuvailu
French: description
German: Beschreibung
Greek: περιγραφή
Italian: descrizione
Japanese: 記述
Korean: 묘사
Norwegian: beskrivelse
Polish: opis określenie
European Portuguese: descrição
Romanian: descriere
Russian: описание
Latin American Spanish: descripción
Swedish: beskrivning
Thai: คำอธิบาย
Turkish: betimleme
Ukrainian: опис
Vietnamese: sự mô tả
All related terms of 'description'
apt description
A description of someone or something is an account which explains what they are or what they look like.
job description
A job description is a written account of all the duties and responsibilities involved in a particular job or position.
audio description
a facility provided for visually impaired people in which a film, television programme , or play is described through audio technology
core description
A core description is a summary of the information about a rock sample , found by core analysis .
defy description
A description of someone or something is an account which explains what they are or what they look like.
fair description
A description of someone or something is an account which explains what they are or what they look like.
vivid description
A description of someone or something is an account which explains what they are or what they look like.
definite description
a description that is modified by the definite article or a possessive , such as the woman in white or Rosemary's baby
detailed description
A description of someone or something is an account which explains what they are or what they look like.
graphic description
A description of someone or something is an account which explains what they are or what they look like.
match the description
A description of someone or something is an account which explains what they are or what they look like.
beggar belief/beggar description
If something beggars belief , it is impossible to believe it. If something beggars description , it is impossible to describe it.
self-described
described as being (something specified) by the person himself or herself
Chinese translation of 'description'
description
(dɪsˈkrɪpʃən)
n(c/u)
描述 (miáoshù) (种(種), zhǒng)
of some/any description某/任何一种(種) (mǒu/rènhé yī zhǒng)
1 (noun)
Definition
a statement or account that describes someone or something
He gave a description of the surgery he was about to perform.
Synonyms
account
I gave a detailed account of what had happened that night.
report
a full report of what happened here tonight
explanation
his lucid explanation of the mysteries of cricket
representation
the representation of women in film and literature
sketch
a sketch of a soldier
narrative
He began his narrative with the day of the murder.
portrayal
an often funny portrayal of a friendship between two boys
depiction
the depiction of politicians in the media
narration
The play is an autobiographical journey with song, dialogue and narration.
characterization
delineation
His razor-sharp delineation of ordinary life.
2 (noun)
Definition
the act of describing
his description of the country as a `police state'
Synonyms
calling
naming
branding
labelling
dubbing
designation
Level 4 alert is a designation reserved for very serious incidents.
3 (noun)
Definition
sort, kind, or variety
Events of this description occurred daily.
Synonyms
kind
They developed a new kind of film-making.
sort
What sort of person is he?
type
There are various types of the disease.
order
the order of insects Coleoptera, better known as beetles
class
a new class of personal computer
variety
She grows 12 varieties of old-fashioned roses.
brand
the British brand of socialism
species
There are several thousand species of trees here.
breed
the new breed of walking holidays
category
The entries were organised into six different categories.
kidney
genre
his love of films and novels in the horror genre
genus
all the species of a particular genus
ilk
politicians and their ilk
Additional synonyms
in the sense of brand
Definition
a particular kind or variety
the British brand of socialism
Synonyms
type,
make,
sort,
kind,
class,
quality,
variety,
species,
strain,
grade,
cast
in the sense of breed
Definition
a kind, sort, or group
the new breed of walking holidays
Synonyms
kind,
sort,
type,
variety,
order,
brand,
stamp,
genre,
calibre
in the sense of category
Definition
a class or group of things or people with some quality or qualities in common
The entries were organised into six different categories.