There are numerous ways to express the phrase "described as" in English. Some possibilities include labeled, referred to as, characterized, identified as, subsumed under, and classified as. Other potential synonyms for this phrase include defined as, portrayed as, depicted as, expressed as, represented as, and termed as. Depending on the context in which the phrase is being used, some of these synonyms may be more appropriate than others. For example, the word "portrayed" might be more fitting in the context of a piece of artwork, while "classified" might be more appropriate in a scientific or academic setting.