ascent

[ uh-sent ]

noun

1. an act of ascending; ascending; upward movement; a rising movement:

   the ascent of a balloon.

2. 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.

3. the act of climbing or traveling up:

   Three climbers attempted the ascent of Mount Rainier.

4. the way or means of ascending; upward slope; acclivity.
5. a movement or return toward a source or beginning.
6. the degree of inclination; gradient:

   a steep ascent.

ascent

/ əˈsɛnt /

noun

1. the act of ascending; climb or upward movement

   the ascent of hot gases

2. an upward slope; incline or gradient
3. movement back through time, as in tracing of earlier generations (esp in the phrase line of ascent )

Other Words From

• reas·cent noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ascent¹

1590–1600; derivative of ascend, on the model of descent

Example Sentences

A turbocharged, 900-cubic-centimeter, three-cylinder engine generates more than enough torque to tackle steep ascents or leave rooster tails of dirt flying in your wake.

From Popular-Science

I was already feeling depleted by the time I veered into the woods for a trundling ascent of Vault Hill.

From Outside Online

Stripe began its ascent to the top of the charts in 2016 and 2017 when it sat behind Dropbox with a $6 billion valuation in 2016 and around $8 billion in 2017.

From TechCrunch

If you look at our game-by-game Elo ratings, the current version of the Nationals may have started its ascent comparatively earlier than last year’s did, in terms of how many games it took for the turnaround to begin.

From FiveThirtyEight

On Sunday, we explored the ways that the American Fringes are bubbling up to become the mainstream of tomorrow — defining the extreme ideologies at war, their sordid histories and how technology has aided their ascent.

From Ozy

When the young woman is ready to emerge from her weeks in hiding, she attends a ceremony marking her ascent into true womanhood.

From The Daily Beast

You have to take a long-term look at the ascent of something that fundamentally changes the power structure of America.

From The Daily Beast

In October 2006, she pioneered the first ascent of Nagpai Gusun, a 7,000-meter peak in the Khumbu region.

From The Daily Beast

Watching Paar do his last Tonight show was almost like witnessing an ascent into clouds.

From The Daily Beast

Back then, today was supposed to be the official beginning of the slow and ineluctable ascent to the White House.

From The Daily Beast

Except for their sad errand, both Felipe and Aunt Ri would have experienced a keen delight in this ascent.

From Project Gutenberg

One bookseller's shop, where books are extravagantly dear, exists in the low town, and one other in the ascent to the upper.

From Project Gutenberg

It is, in fact, watery vapour drawn from the air next the surface of the ocean, and condensed in its ascent through the tube.

From Project Gutenberg

In its ascent the air is cooled, rarefied, and to a great extent deprived of its moisture.

From Project Gutenberg

My daughter is rather a good mountaineer, and Miss Stirling is just as anxious to make the ascent.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• ascendance
• ascension
• climb

Ascent Vs. Assent

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.

Quiz yourself on ascent vs. assent!

Should ascent or assent be used in the following sentence?

The balloon’s _____ into the air was slowed by all the weight attached to it.