declension
[ dih-klen-shuh n ]
/ dɪˈklɛn ʃən /
noun
Grammar.
- the inflection of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives for categories such as case and number.
- the whole set of inflected forms of such a word, or the recital thereof in a fixed order.
- a class of such words having similar sets of inflected forms: the Latin second declension.
an act or instance of declining.
a bending, sloping, or moving downward: land with a gentle declension toward the sea.
deterioration; decline.
deviation, as from a standard.
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
declare war on, declared, declarer, declass, declassify, declension, declensional, declinable, declinate, declination, declinatory
Origin of declension
1400–50; late Middle English declenson, declynson (with suffix later assimilated to -sion), by stress retraction and syncope < Old French declinaison < Latin dēclīnātiō declination
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for declension
British Dictionary definitions for declension
declension
/ (dɪˈklɛnʃən) /
noun
grammar
- inflection of nouns, pronouns, or adjectives for case, number, and gender
- the complete set of the inflections of such a word"puella" is a first-declension noun in Latin
a decline or deviation from a standard, belief, etc
a downward slope or bend
Derived Forms
declensional, adjectivedeclensionally, adverbWord Origin for declension
C15: from Latin dēclīnātiō, literally: a bending aside, hence variation, inflection; see decline
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