Descriptive lexicography is the practice of compiling and creating dictionaries that reflect how words are actually used in a language. It focuses on documenting the meanings, pronunciations, and usages of words based on real-world evidence, rather than prescribing how words should be used. This approach helps capture the evolving nature of language. In contrast to prescriptive lexicography, which sets rules for language use, descriptive lexicography aims to provide an accurate snapshot of a language at a given time. It often involves analyzing large corpora of text to understand word usage, making it a valuable resource for linguists and language learners alike.