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declension

[ dih-klen-shuhn ]
/ dɪˈklɛn ʃən /
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noun
Grammar.
  1. the inflection of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives for categories such as case and number.
  2. the whole set of inflected forms of such a word, or the recital thereof in a fixed order.
  3. 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.
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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 dēclīnātiōdeclination

Words nearby declension

declare war on, declass, déclassé, declassify, declaw, declension, declensional, declinable, declinate, declination, declinatory
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to declension

decadence, decay, declination, decline, degeneracy, degeneration, worsening

How to use declension in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for declension

declension
/ (dɪˈklɛnʃən) /
noun
grammar
  1. inflection of nouns, pronouns, or adjectives for case, number, and gender
  2. 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 of declension

declensional, adjectivedeclensionally, adverb

Word Origin for declension

C15: from Latin dēclīnātiō, literally: a bending aside, hence variation, inflection; see decline
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
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