ascent
Americannoun
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an act of ascending; ascending; upward movement; a rising movement.
the ascent of a balloon.
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movement upward from a lower to a higher state, degree, grade, or status; advancement.
His ascent to the governorship came after a long political career.
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the act of climbing or traveling up.
Three climbers attempted the ascent of Mount Rainier.
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the way or means of ascending; upward slope; acclivity.
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a movement or return toward a source or beginning.
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the degree of inclination; gradient.
a steep ascent.
noun
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the act of ascending; climb or upward movement
the ascent of hot gases
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an upward slope; incline or gradient
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movement back through time, as in tracing of earlier generations (esp in the phrase line of ascent )
Usage
What's the difference between ascent and assent? Ascent is a noun that means the act of moving upward (ascending), an upward movement, or upward movement in general. Assent can be a noun meaning agreement, as in I give my assent, or a verb meaning to agree or give in, as in I assent to your terms.The two words are pronounced exactly the same.Perhaps the best way to remember the difference between the two is to think about what related words mean and how they’re spelled. Words related to ascent involve movement and are spelled with sc, including ascend, ascension, descent, descend, and transcend.Words related to assent involve agreement or disagreement and end with -sent, including consent and dissent.Here’s an example of ascent and assent used correctly in a sentence.Example: I asked him if he really wanted to climb the mountain, he gave his assent, and we began our ascent.Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between ascent and assent.
Other Word Forms
- reascent noun
Etymology
Origin of ascent
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The athletes climb approximately 230 feet in elevation on the ascent portion of the race — about 2½ times the elevation gain of “Heartbreak Hill” in the Boston Marathon.
From Los Angeles Times
That small break in the price’s ascent could have investors taking profits.
From Barron's
At age 31 he was tapped to relaunch Warner’s Elektra Records, where he helped lay the groundwork for the ascent of Bruno Mars.
From Los Angeles Times
Prices first surged late Wednesday night, just as East Asia traders were starting their day, and then resumed their ascent around 8 a.m.
From Barron's
His ascent in Taiwan's capital was streamed live on Netflix, which said there would be a delay on the live feed should the worst happen.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
