ascendant

or as·cend·ent

[ uh-sen-duhnt ]

/ əˈsɛn dənt /

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See synonyms for ascendant on Thesaurus.com

noun

a position of dominance or controlling influence: possession of power, superiority, or preeminence: With his rivals in the ascendant, he soon lost his position.

an ancestor; forebear.

Astrology. the point of the ecliptic or the sign and degree of the zodiac rising above the eastern horizon at the time of a birth or event: the cusp of the first house.

adjective

ascending; rising.

superior; predominant.

Botany. directed or curved upward.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of ascendant

1350–1400; Middle English ascendent<Latin ascendent- (stem of ascendēns) climbing up. See ascend, -ent, -ant

OTHER WORDS FROM ascendant

non·as·cend·ant, adjectivenon·as·cend·ant·ly, adverbnon·as·cend·ent, adjectivenon·as·cend·ent·ly, adverb

un·as·cend·ant, adjectiveun·as·cend·ent, adjective

Words nearby ascendant

ascarid, ascaridole, ascaris, ascend, ascendancy, ascendant, ascender, ascendeur, ascending, ascending colon, ascending node

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ascendant in a sentence

The Republican Party will wither if the ascendant Lout Caucus is the face it presents to this nation of decent, congenial people.
Will Senate Republicans allow their louts to rule the party?|George Will|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
Then, in the 1980s, an ascendant conservative movement began a blistering rhetorical assault on what Ronald Reagan called the “dreaded l-word.”
Bernie Sanders is often called a liberal. He’d beg to differ. Who is actually a liberal?|Graham Vyse|February 2, 2021|Washington Post
If this YOLO GameStop saga has taught us anything, it’s that we’re glimpsing an ascendant force in the markets with the power to exert incredible pain on the old guard.
Forget Bitcoin—GameStop just topped $300 in pre-market trading|Bernhard Warner|January 27, 2021|Fortune
As far as campaign songs go, Bobi Wine’s hits all the right notes—an infectious, joyous message of hope reborn and national unity ascendant, interwoven with campaign pledges set to a rollicking, gospel infused reggae beat.
'Museveni Is Scared.' Uganda's Aging Strongman Faces a Challenge from Singer Bobi Wine in an Election Plagued by Unrest|Aryn Baker|January 13, 2021|Time

It was the first decision of the Council’s new 8-1 Democratic super majority, revealing divisions within an an ascendant liberal coalition that nonetheless has near uniform control over city government.
Morning Report: New Mayor, Council Take Over|Voice of San Diego|December 11, 2020|Voice of San Diego
The ascendant media that looked down on him has been pretty much destroyed.
How Monica Lewinsky Changed the Media|Tina Brown|May 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Tex-Mex for decades was ascendant,” Arellano told the The Weekly Alibi in 2012.
The Next Big Cuisine of 2014 Is ... Tex-Mex?|Andrew Romano|January 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Stressed as it may be, the Coalition of the Ascendant is not disappearing.
Income Inequality is a Recipe for Stagnation|Lloyd Green|January 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Just last year, it seemed as if Hamas—with the Brotherhood dominating Egyptian electoral politics—might be ascendant.
Arab Spring Keeps Sending Hamas Packing|Rachel Cohen|July 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Gay marriage is ascendant, driven by a rapidly shifting public opinion.
Exodus Closes, Marking Official End of the Ex-Gay Movement|David Sessions|June 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Ultimately, finding the Emperor's cause in the ascendant, he cast aside hesitation and threw in his lot with him.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
The High Church party were then in the ascendant, and Abbot, from various causes, declined from favour.
The Portsmouth Road and Its Tributaries|Charles G. Harper
It was Jem Deady in the custody of his wife, who was now in the ascendant.
My New Curate|P.A. Sheehan
In 1784, the Foxite administration fell, and Pitt was in the ascendant.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 56, Number 348|Various
He has written a large number of short sketches and more extended novels, and his talent is still in the ascendant.
The History of Yiddish Literature in the Nineteenth Century|Leo Wiener

British Dictionary definitions for ascendant

ascendant

ascendent

/ (əˈsɛndənt) /

adjective

proceeding upwards; rising

dominant, superior, or influential

botany another term for ascending

noun

rare an ancestor

a position or condition of dominance, superiority or control

astrology (sometimes capital)

a point on the ecliptic that rises on the eastern horizon at a particular moment and changes as the earth rotates on its axis
the sign of the zodiac containing this point

in the ascendant increasing in influence, prosperity, etc

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ascendant

or as·cend·ent

Origin of ascendant

OTHER WORDS FROM ascendant

Words nearby ascendant

Words related to ascendant

How to use ascendant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ascendant

ascendent