descent

The word “descent” means the act of coming down from a higher place, or a downward slope or path. In plain terms, going downward — whether that's a plane landing, a path down a hill, where your family comes from, or a slide into a worse situation.

“Descent” is pronounced dih-SEHNT (/dəˈsɛnt/ in IPA).

Here is “descent” used in a sentence: “The plane began its descent into Manchester.”

The opposite of “descent” — its antonyms — is ascent.

“Descent” is a noun.

The word “descent” comes from Old French. From Old French descente, tied to descendre, "to descend" — built from the same root as "ascent" and "ascend", just heading the other direction.

“Descent” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.

“Descent” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the act of coming down from a higher place, or a downward slope or path.

These are often confused because they look similar. "Descent" is a noun meaning a downward movement, a slope, or a person's ancestry. "Decent" is an adjective meaning respectable, adequate, or kind. They are unrelated in meaning.

"Descent" means coming down from a higher place, a downward slope, or a line of ancestry. "Dissent" means disagreement or the holding of an opposing opinion. Despite sounding similar, they have different meanings and spellings.

Descent is the act of coming down from a higher place or a downward slope, while ascent is the act of going up or an upward climb. They are opposites, most often used when talking about climbing, aircraft, or paths.