descriptor

noun

de·​scrip·​tor di-ˈskrip-tər 

: something (such as a word or characteristic feature) that serves to describe or identify

especially : a word or phrase (such as an index term) used to identify an item (such as a subject or document) in an information retrieval system

Examples of descriptor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But those descriptors undersell the creativity and warmth at this Midtown restaurant, which feels like dining in your most stylish friend’s vacation home. —Liz Cook, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Mar. 2026

Brief seems to be the most frequent descriptor attached to these calls, most of which last just a few minutes, rarely more than 10. —Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026

Users tell the app’s AI assistant about their values, relationship goals, communication style, and lifestyle in a private conversation (not just selecting descriptors for a profile). —Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026

Ideas like empire and spheres of influence were not anachronisms or pejoratives but descriptors of how geopolitics functions in practice. —Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see describe

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing descriptor

• self-descriptor