using System; using System.Collections.Generic; using System.ComponentModel; using System.Linq; using System.Reflection; using System.Text; using System.Threading.Tasks; namespace ConsoleApplication15 { class Program { public static string FetchDescription(Enum value) { FieldInfo fi = value.GetType().GetField(value.ToString()); DescriptionAttribute[] attributes = (DescriptionAttribute[])fi.GetCustomAttributes( typeof(DescriptionAttribute), false); return (attributes.Length > 0) ? attributes[0].Description : value.ToString(); } static void Main(string[] args) { TestEnum testEnum = TestEnum.one; // Get the description string of the enumeration thisValue = FetchDescription(testEnum); // Get the value of the enumeration var val = ( int )testEnum; } } public enum TestEnum { [Description( " Hello everyone, this is the description " )] one = 1, two = 2, three = 3 } }