descriptionindicating

Descriptionindicating is a term used in linguistic analysis to describe how descriptive expressions within noun phrases can function to indicate or signal information about a referent, beyond merely characterizing it. The term is not part of a standardized framework in mainstream grammars, but it is occasionally used to discuss how certain descriptions contribute to identification, relevance, or discourse flow.

In this usage, descriptions serve two related purposes: they help a listener identify the referent in context and they may carry implicature or presupposition about the referent. Descriptive content that signals color, role, relationship, or other salient properties can influence how a listener distinguishes one candidate from others, especially in spoken discourse or crowded contexts. Examples include phrases like “the red ball,” where color aids identification, or “the team captain,” where a role signals status and function within a group.

Relation to other concepts includes its overlap with definiteness, descriptive content, and indexical or deictic expressions. Descriptionindicating emphasizes the functional role of description in signaling referential intent, rather than only describing surface properties. It is typically treated as a flexible, context-dependent phenomenon rather than a fixed grammatical category, and researchers may apply it differently across theories of reference and discourse.

See also: definite description, descriptive content, indexical expression, pragmatics, reference in linguistics.