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de·scent

descent

 
 
pronunciation:
dih sent
features:
Word Combinations (noun), Homophone Note, Word Parts
part of speech: noun
definition 1: the act or process of going downward.
The plane encountered turbulence during its descent.The sudden descent of the sea gulls frightened the children on the beach.
antonyms:
ascent, rise
similar words:
anticlimax, down, fall
definition 2: a path or passage that slopes downward.
The hikers made their way down a steep descent.
 
antonyms:
ascent
similar words:
down
definition 3: biological or conceptual derivation.
He's done research on the descent of birds from reptiles.The topic was the descent of the Roman alphabet from a variety of the Greek.
similar words:
ancestry, lineage
definition 4: any lowering, as in power or social position.
After the scandal, his descent from power was swift.
antonyms:
ascent, rise
similar words:
anticlimax
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Homophone Note
The words descent and dissent sound alike but have different meanings.
Word PartsSubscriber feature About this feature