description

noun

di-ˈskrip-shən How to pronounce description (audio)
Definition of descriptionnext
1
as in depiction
a vivid representation in words of someone or something we immediately recognized the man from our cousin's description of him

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in type
a number of persons or things that are grouped together because they have something in common fixes small appliances and other things of that description

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word description distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of description are character, kind, nature, sort, and type. While all these words mean "a number of individuals thought of as a group because of a common quality or qualities," description implies a group marked by agreement in all details belonging to a type as described or defined.

not all acts of that description are actually illegal

When might character be a better fit than description?

The meanings of character and description largely overlap; however, character implies a group marked by distinctive likenesses peculiar to the type.

research on the subject so far has been of an elementary character

When could kind be used to replace description?

While the synonyms kind and description are close in meaning, kind may suggest natural grouping.

a zoo seemingly having animals of every kind

When would nature be a good substitute for description?

The words nature and description can be used in similar contexts, but nature may imply inherent, essential resemblance rather than obvious or superficial likenesses.

two problems of a similar nature

When can sort be used instead of description?

In some situations, the words sort and description are roughly equivalent. However, sort often suggests some disparagement.

the sort of newspaper dealing in sensational stories

In what contexts can type take the place of description?

The synonyms type and description are sometimes interchangeable, but type may suggest strong and clearly marked similarity throughout the items included so that each is typical of the group.

one of three basic body types

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of description Through her descriptions of translating Roland Barthes’ lecture notes, Briggs gives a breathless intensity about falling in love with literature and its endless possibilities through translation. —Diana Arterian june 5, Literary Hub, 5 June 2025 The operation used OpenAI's tools to debug code and write descriptions that could be used in sales pitches for the social media monitoring tool. —Shannon Bond, NPR, 5 June 2025 This is a description not of February 2022 but of January 1918, when the Bolsheviks advanced on Kyiv to crush the Ukrainian People’s Republic. —Uilleam Blacker, The Atlantic, 4 June 2025 However useful to ancient bards, such a spare description would mean little to us today. —Sam Kean, The Atlantic, 26 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for description
Recent Examples of Synonyms for description
  1. depiction
  2. portrait
  3. kind
  4. portrayal
  5. sort
  6. picture
  7. stripe
  8. definition
Noun
  • But amidst this necessary reckoning, depictions of joy and meaning have been lost.
    — Samantha Mann, Time, 5 June 2025
  • The way augmentations start to affect people, changing their personalities as well as their bodies, plus depictions of class inequality and the rise of fascism make the show’s world eerily familiar in 2025.
    — Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 4 June 2025
Definition of depiction
Noun
  • Even without all that, L.A. has a raft of problems on its hands, and the close-up at the moment is not a pretty portrait.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2025
  • Rosenheim believes that early photographic portraits empowered working-class Americans.
    — Lillian Ali, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2025
Definition of portrait
Noun
  • Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.
    — Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
  • The move marks the first time a major Hollywood studio has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit of this kind.
    — Regina Cho, VIBE.com, 11 June 2025
Definition of kind
Noun
  • Cruz, the son of an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador who came to the U.S. in the 1970s, said he’s angered by the federal government’s portrayal that anyone without documents living in the United States is a criminal.
    — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
  • With his tongue-in-cheek portrayal of himself, outlandish costumes (a wedding veil and a hair band adorned with chess pieces are among his more subtle accessories) and unabating love of drama, the Scottish multihyphenate has subverted the norms of TV host.
    — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2025
Definition of portrayal
Noun
  • Borussia Dortmund are a rival of sorts, even though Der Klassiker, as games between the two are called, is more of a marketing construct than a reality.
    — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 7 June 2025
  • Nugget by Sherwin-Williams When a windowless basement home gym in Vienna, Va., needed a jolt of energy, designer Laura Hildebrandt opted to bring in a bit of sunshine of sorts on the ceiling.
    — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2025
Definition of sort
Noun
  • Yet there’s something about this mysterious, tender picture—a story of grief, and almost-renewal—that’s not easy to shake.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 4 June 2025
  • Prince Harry and Meghan's daughter Lilibet turned 4 on June 4, and the Duchess of Sussex led the celebrations by posting two previously unseen pictures of her and Lilibet to Instagram.
    — Janine Henni, People.com, 4 June 2025
Definition of picture
Noun
  • The rocker, known for her signature bleach-blonde 'do, frequently paired denim with an edgy T-shirt, bold stripes, patterns or sequins.
    — Meredith Wilshere, People.com, 1 June 2025
  • Play with big-scale florals and small-scale florals, big stripes and small stripes with a little solid to create calm.
    — Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2025
Definition of stripe
Noun
  • Surrounded by friends and collaborators from the CBS legal drama, IndieWire’s Vanguard award winner began her acceptance speech on June 5 by reflecting on the definition of the accolade.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 June 2025
  • Being legally blind is not a functional definition of low vision.
    — Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 6 June 2025
Definition of definition

Browse Nearby Words

descries
description
descriptions
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Description.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/description. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on description

Nglish: Translation of description for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about description

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