acclivity

American  

[uh-kliv-i-tee] / əˈklɪv ɪ ti /

noun

• acclivities
  plural

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

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acclivity British  

/ əˈklɪvɪtɪ /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• acclivities
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of acclivity

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

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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

See Examples For:

acclivity acclivities

What diversity of scene, as isle after isle, bold headland, lofty cliff, or wooded acclivity, meets the gaze!

From The Genius of Scotland or Sketches of Scottish Scenery, Literature and Religion by Robert Turnbull

It extends about 2 m. along the river bank, occupying a slight acclivity which reaches its summit at Windmill Hill, whence extensive views are obtained of the river, with its windings and shipping.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 4 "Grasshopper" to "Greek Language" by Various

This was a small hill-town, girt by a ruinous wall, and buckled with crazy towers, which topped an acclivity on the right of the valley, and commanded the road.

From The Abbess Of Vlaye by Stanley J. Weyman

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 Leitch Ritchie

Instead, her eyes were fixedly bent upon the face of the acclivity opposite—more particularly on a riband of road that went winding up through woods from Drybrook to the “Wilderness.”

From No Quarter! by Mayne Reid

This is completely enclosed by densely wooded acclivities, rising almost from the water’s edge, one above the other, in agreeable perspective, so as to exclude the slightest glimpse of the world beyond.

From With the World's Great Travellers, Volume 3 by Various

Up the narrow acclivities leading to these mesa crests the Mokis must bring all provisions, all water, their ponies and donkeys.

From Through Our Unknown Southwest by Agnes C. (Agnes Christina) Laut

Little or no vegetation is seen on them; and their acclivities, covered for miles with graves and tombs, serve as the necropolis of this vast city.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 2 "Camorra" to "Cape Colony" by Various

Above Quebec, the high promontory on which the upper town is built expands into an elevated plain, having towards the river the steepest acclivities.

From The International Monthly, Volume 5, No. 4, April, 1852 by Various

The slopes of the hills rose in gentle acclivities, cultivated, dotted with groves and orchards, and lined with rows of tall poplars.

From The Lily and the Cross A Tale of Acadia by James De Mille

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