descriptiveness
|de-scrip-tive-ness|
/dɪˈskrɪptɪvnəs/
quality/degree of giving a description
Etymology
'descriptiveness' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'describere', where 'de-' meant 'down, completely' and 'scribere' meant 'to write'.
'descriptiveness' changed from Old French/Latin forms such as Old French 'descrire' (from Latin 'describere') and through Middle English 'describe' and 'descriptive', eventually forming the modern English noun 'descriptiveness' by adding the suffix '-ness' to 'descriptive'.
Initially, the root meant 'to write down' or 'to represent in writing', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'the quality or degree of giving a detailed account or representation'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the quality or state of being descriptive; the degree to which something gives a detailed, vivid, or characteristic account.
The descriptiveness of her travel notes made the reader feel as if they had visited the city themselves.
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Noun 2
(Usage/linguistics) The tendency or approach of describing how language or phenomena are, rather than prescribing how they should be.
Scholars praised the descriptiveness of the study, which focused on actual usage rather than prescriptive rules.
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Last updated: 2025/12/24 14:16