Plain English Meaning
To put something into your own words clearly enough that someone else can picture it or follow it. It is more than naming the thing — you have to spell out what it is, what it looks like, or how it works.
Full Definition
In learner-centered assessment, a level of cognitive performance in which the learner explains a concept, procedure, or situation in their own words, identifying its key features, components, or sequence. Describing goes beyond simply naming or reciting — it requires the learner to convey enough detail that another person could understand or recognize what is being described.
Context Anchor
Seen in instructor questions, lesson objectives, and learner-centered assessments when a learner is asked to show understanding in words.
Derivation
From Latin describere, meaning 'to write down' or 'to copy in writing' (de- 'down' + scribere 'to write'). The original sense was to set something down in detail. That carries straight into the instructional use: the learner is laying out the details of a topic so they can be examined.
Why Pilots Care
Instructors rely on this level of understanding to confirm a student has grasped key concepts before advancing to hands-on practice or higher-stakes decisions.
Intuition Check
Do not read describe as “say anything about it.” In assessment, describe means give the key details clearly and accurately enough to show understanding.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor asked the learner to describe the steps of a normal traffic pattern from downwind to touchdown.
Example Sentence 2
During the oral exam the examiner requested that the applicant describe how an altimeter works.