description
n.-
1 an account of something (n.) A1 Beginnera picture in words that tells you how something looks, sounds, or feels.
a spoken or written representation of the appearance, nature, or attributes of something.
ExampleThe witness gave a detailed description of the man to the police.
ExampleThe novelist provided such a vivid description of the coastal village that readers felt they could smell the salt air.
PitfallHe gave a description about the man.He gave a description of the man.Use the preposition 'of' after description to indicate the subject being described.
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2 linguistic analysis (n.) C1 Advanced Academic Technical Linguisticsthe study of how people actually use a language, without saying what is right or wrong.
the objective recording and analysis of language usage within a speech community, contrasted with prescription.
ExampleThe book offers a clear description of how the local dialect has changed.
ExampleModern linguistics prioritises the accurate description of spoken corpora over the enforcement of traditional grammatical rules.
UsageOften used in the context of 'descriptive linguistics'.
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3 a type or category (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Formala particular type or kind of person or thing.
a class, type, or variety of something, often used in the phrase 'of every description'.
ExampleThe shop sold old books and magazines of every description.
ExampleThe festival attracted travellers of every description, from wealthy tourists to backpackers on a strict budget.
From Middle English descripcioun, from Old French description and its etymon, Latin dēscrīptiō, noun of action of dēscrībō (“to describe”). Equivalent to describe + -tion.