acclivity

American  

[uh-kliv-i-tee] / əˈklɪv ɪ ti /

noun

plural

acclivities

1. an upward slope, as of ground; an ascent (opposed to declivity).

---

acclivity British  

/ əˈklɪvɪtɪ, əˈklaɪvəs /

noun

1. an upward slope, esp of the ground Compare declivity

---

Other Word Forms

• acclivitous adjective
• acclivous adjective
• unacclivitous adjective
• unacclivitously adverb

Etymology

Origin of acclivity

1605–15; < Latin acclīvitās, equivalent to acclīv ( is ) steep ( ac- ac- + -clīvis, adj. derivative of clīvus slope) + -itās -ity

Explanation

An acclivity might be something to dread if you ride a bike a lot. An acclivity is an uphill slope, so you’ll have to pedal a little harder to get to the top. The word acclivity traces back to the Latin word acclivis, meaning “ascending,” which is a combination of ad-, meaning “toward,” and clivus, meaning “slope.” If you encounter an acclivity, it’s going to be all uphill until you get to the top. The opposite of an acclivity is a declivity, which has a similar Latin origin. In the case of declivity, it’s the de- prefix, meaning “down,” that moves things in the opposite direction and gives it the meaning of “downhill slope.”

Example Sentences

Declivity, de-kliv′i-ti, n. a place that declines, or slopes downward, opposite of acclivity: inclination downward: a gradual descent.—adjs.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various

Chepstow stands on the side of an acclivity, overlooked itself on all sides by loftier hills, so that from every part of the town a different view is obtained. 

From The Wye and Its Associations a picturesque ramble by Ritchie, Leitch

It is pleasantly situated on the summit and slopes of an acclivity rising from the river, and has handsome squares, terraces, and streets.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 3: Estremoz to Felspar by Various

A steep acclivity, as the slope of a hill, or the side of a ravine.

From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (2nd 100 Pages) by Webster, Noah

Their horses were not Saladins, and the best of them had become blown in their gallop against the steep acclivity more than a mile in length.

From No Quarter! by Reid, Mayne