Descent

/dɪˈsɛnt/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A movement downward in aviation.

The pilot initiated the descent to land the plane smoothly.

The act or process of moving from a higher to a lower level or position.

The descent down the mountain was steep and challenging.

A decline in status or quality.

The descent of the company's reputation was alarming.

An ancestral line or heritage.

She is of French descent, tracing her family lineage back to the 18th century.

An action or series of actions taken to move downward or to decline.

The rapid descent of the balloon brought it dangerously close to the ground.

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

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.

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.

a situation that has gone downhill significantly.

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

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

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