decline
[ dih-klahyn ]
/ dɪˈklaɪn /
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Definition of decline
verb (used with object), de·clined, de·clin·ing.
verb (used without object), de·clined, de·clin·ing.
noun
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Origin of decline
First recorded in 1275–1325; (verb) Middle English declinen, from Old French: “to inflect, turn aside, sink,” from Latin dēclīnāre “to slope, incline, bend”; compare Greek klī́nein “to lean” (see lean1); (noun) Middle English declin, from Old French, derivative of decliner
synonym study for decline
1. See refuse1.
OTHER WORDS FROM decline
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use decline in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for decline
decline
/ (dɪˈklaɪn) /
verb
noun
Derived forms of decline
declinable, adjectivedecliner, nounWord Origin for decline
C14: from Old French decliner to inflect, turn away, sink, from Latin dēclīnāre to bend away, inflect grammatically
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