descent

noun

duh-SENT/dəˈsɛnt/UKdi-SENT/dɪˈsɛnt/

7 meanings of descent

1
nouncountable
The act of moving down from a higher place to a lower one.
Like going down a slide from the top to the bottom.
The plane began its descent toward the airport.
Their descent down the mountain took several hours.
Similardrop, fall, plunge, dive
Oppositeascent, rise, climb
Note
2
noununcountable
The family line that a person comes from.
Like a branch on a family tree that connects you back to your grandparents.
She is of Italian descent on her mother's side.
Many people in the town are of German descent.
Similarancestry, lineage, parentage, extraction, origin
Note
3
nounusually singular
A change to a worse or lower condition.
Like slowly sliding downhill from a good place to a bad one.
The team's descent to the bottom of the league upset its fans.
Her slow descent into sadness worried her family.
Similardecline, fall, slide, deterioration, degeneration
Oppositerise, ascent, improvement, recovery
Note
4
nouncountable
A path or route that leads downward.
Like the down staircase you use to leave a tall building.
The descent from the hilltop was steep and slippery.
They found an easier descent on the far side of the ridge.
Oppositeascent, climb
5
nouncountable
A slope that goes downward.
Like a ramp that tilts down instead of staying flat.
The car rolled down the steep descent toward the river.
A gentle descent connected the upper field to the lower one.
Similarslope, incline, decline, drop, dip
Oppositeascent, rise, climb
6
nouncountable
A sudden attack on a place by an enemy.
Like a hawk suddenly swooping down on a flock of birds.
The enemy's descent on the village came at dawn.
Villagers feared a descent by raiders from the sea.
Similarraid, attack, assault, invasion, incursion
Oppositeretreat, withdrawal
7
noununcountable
In math, a way of building one whole object by joining smaller matching pieces.
Like joining puzzle pieces that match at their edges to make one big picture.
Mathematicians use descent to join small pieces into one larger object.
The idea of descent lets you build a whole from parts that fit together.
Note

Practice

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Origin

From Middle English and Anglo-Norman descente, linked to the verb descendre meaning "to descend."