Meaning & Definition of Descent in English

Detailed Definitions

• Definition: the process of going down from a higher to a lower place.

  Example Sentence: The descent down the mountain was steep and treacherous.

• Definition: a decline in status, quality, or condition.

  Example Sentence: His descent into poverty was rapid after losing his job.

• Definition: lineage or ancestry.

  Example Sentence: She traced her descent back to an ancient royal family.

• Definition: the act of descending, especially in a vehicle or aircraft.

  Example Sentence: The descent of the helicopter was smooth and controlled.

Etymology

Origin: Middle English, from Old French 'descent', from Latin 'descensus', from 'descendere' (to descend).

Synonyms

Common Phrases and Expressions

• a descent into madness: a gradual or sudden decline into insanity or irrational behavior.
• line of descent: a sequence of ancestors or descendants.
• descents into chaos: situations where order breaks down and disorder prevails.

Translations

• Spanish: descenso

• French: descente

• German: Abstieg

• Russian: спуск

Related Words

• ascend: to go up or rise.

• descendant: a person, plant, or animal that is descended from a particular ancestor.

• descend: to move from a higher to a lower level.

Slang Meanings of descent

• Meaning: a situation that has gone downhill significantly.

  Example Sentence: Ever since he started skipping class, his grades have been on a descent.

• Meaning: to take a plunge, often in a risky or reckless way.

  Example Sentence: They went into a descent last night, hitting the party hard.