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• ascension
  ascension

  noun

  the act of ascending; ascent.
• Ascension
  Ascension

  noun

  a British island in the S Atlantic Ocean: constituent part of St. Helena. 34 sq. mi. (88 sq. km).

ascension

¹ American  

[uh-sen-shuhn] / əˈsɛn ʃən /

noun

1. the act of ascending; ascent.

2. the Ascension, the bodily ascending of Christ from earth to heaven.

3. (initial capital letter) Ascension Day.

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Ascension ² American  

[uh-sen-shuhn] / əˈsɛn ʃən /

noun

1. a British island in the S Atlantic Ocean: constituent part of St. Helena. 34 sq. mi. (88 sq. km).

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ascension ¹ British  

/ əˈsɛnʃən /

noun

1. the act of ascending

2. astronomy the rising of a star above the horizon

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Ascension ² British  

/ əˈsɛnʃən /

noun

1. New Testament the passing of Jesus Christ from earth into heaven (Acts 1:9)

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Ascension ³ British  

/ əˈsɛnʃən /

noun

1. an island in the S Atlantic, northwest of St Helena: uninhabited until claimed by Britain in 1815. Pop: 884 (2010 est). Area: 88 sq km (34 sq miles)

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Other Word Forms

• ascensional
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of ascension

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English ascencioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin ascēnsiōn-, stem of ascēnsiō, from ascēns(us) “climbed up” (past participle of ascendere “to climb up”; see ascend) + -iō -ion

Explanation

The word ascension describes the act of rising up through the air. When a plane takes off, it is in ascension, or rising up in the sky. The noun ascension derives from the Latin word ascendere, meaning "to mound, ascend, go up." You may have observed the ascension, or rising, of a star above the horizon with your telescope. Watching the ascension of a space shuttle up into the earth's atmosphere can be a thrilling experience. The ascension of a hot air balloon up into the sky can be a beautiful sight on a summer's evening.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ascension Ascension

That Jackson’s ascension by convention counts as normal is less a reflection of the process itself than a product of the preconvention roller coaster ride that brought Democrats to where they are now.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

Yet even with his rapid ascension to stardom, Haaland continues to return to Norway frequently where he owns several properties.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

Ternus’ ascension to CEO, from his role as senior vice president of hardware engineering, is a reminder that Apple emphasizes products above all else.

From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026

His ascension will, save for any unexpected snafus, mark the end of a decade-plus search for a lasting successor to Bob Iger that has been marked by delays, missteps and reversals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026

Everyone would be expecting them to follow up yesterday’s failed ascension with a success, which of course they couldn’t do, at least not yet.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Focus is on the Trump-Xi meeting, but trade is quiet due to the Ascension Day holiday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

Ten other passengers and crew members are being brought to the UK from British territories in the south Atlantic, Saint Helena and Ascension Islands, as a precaution.

From BBC ● May 13, 2026

One British man became ill on April 24 and was evacuated three days later from the Atlantic island of Ascension to South Africa, where he was placed in intensive care.

From Barron's ● May 11, 2026

Ascension systems remain down indefinitely, but doctors and nurses are working to find ways of getting access to some information about patients’ medical histories by looking at health records kept by other providers.

From New York Times ● May 23, 2024

Ascension to scythehood should by no means be easy.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

• ascent