Jump to:

• 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.

---

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).

---

ascension ¹ British  

/ əˈsɛnʃən /

noun

1. the act of ascending

2. astronomy the rising of a star above the horizon

---

Ascension ² British  

/ əˈsɛnʃən /

noun

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

---

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)

---

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

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

The eurozone’s data calendar will be light, while Ascension Day on Thursday will be a public holiday in a number of countries.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

The Feast of the Ascension of Christ was a key date in the Venetian calendar until the fall of the Venice Republic in 1797.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2025

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