signalement
Definition
Noun (countable and uncountable): - A description of a person's physical appearance, especially for identification purposes: "signalement" refers to a detailed verbal or written account of a person's distinctive features, such as height, build, hair colour, facial characteristics, and clothing, often used by authorities to identify suspects or missing individuals.
Usage Examples
- (They distributed a detailed physical description to aid in recapture.)
- (The description was noted for future identification.)
- (Without a precise appearance description, locating the person is challenging.)
Advanced Usage
- "to give a signalement": to provide a physical description of someone.
- The witness was able to give a signalement of the thief to the detective. (The witness described the thief's appearance.)
- "to match a signalement": to correspond to a given description.
- The suspect matches the signalement provided by the victim. (The suspect fits the physical description.)
- "signalement signalé": a formal term used in police reports to indicate that a description has been officially registered.
Variants and Related Words
- Signalement is a French loanword; it does not have common English variants. However, related terms include:
- Description (n): a spoken or written account of a person or thing.
- The police asked for a description of the missing child. (A general account.)
- Identikit (n): a composite picture of a person, built from descriptions given by witnesses.
- The artist created an identikit based on the signalement. (A visual representation of the description.)
Synonyms
- Description: a detailed account of someone's appearance.
- The description of the suspect was vague. (A general physical account.)
- Portrait: a verbal or written portrayal of a person.
- The author painted a verbal portrait of the character. (A detailed depiction.)
- Profile: a concise description of a person's characteristics.
- The criminal profile included height, weight, and scars. (A summary of features.)
Phrasal Verbs
- To signalement someone (rare, non-standard): to provide a description of someone.
- The officer signalmented the suspect over the radio. (He gave a physical description.)
- Note: This is not a standard phrasal verb; "to describe" is more common in English.
Related Idioms
- To have a good signalement: to have a distinctive or easily recognizable appearance.
- He has a good signalement with his bright red jacket. (He is easy to spot.)
- To be a signalement of oneself: to be easily identifiable by one's appearance.
- With his unusual hat, he was a signalement of himself. (He stood out clearly.)
Usage Notes
- "Signalement" is a specialized term, primarily used in legal, police, or formal contexts in English. It is not common in everyday conversation; "description" is the usual equivalent.
- It is often used in written reports or official documents rather than in spoken language.