declivity

American  

[dih-kliv-i-tee] / dɪˈklɪv ɪ ti /

noun

plural

declivities

1. a downward slope, as of ground (acclivity ).

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declivity British  

/ dɪˈklɪvɪtɪ /

noun

1. a downward slope, esp of the ground Compare acclivity

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Other Word Forms

• declivitous adjective

Etymology

Origin of declivity

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin dēclīvitās “a slope, hill,” equivalent to dēclīvi(s) “sloping downward” ( dē- prefix indicating downward motion + clīv(us) “slope, hill” + -is adjective suffix) + -tās noun suffix; de-, -ty ²

Example Sentences

Now we were east of the trail, meandering across a treeless declivity with no obvious route at our feet.

From New York Times

Fires in the region often start in this steep and inaccessible declivity, served by a single main road that meanders alongside the water.

From The Guardian

These were mounted on a metal armature, and the result was a white cube, with a few enigmatic protrusions and a curious declivity capturing the negative space of the fireplace.

From Washington Post

Within a week I’d developed night sweats that caused pools of water to collect in the declivity above my collarbone, and left my hair greasy at the scalp.

From The Guardian

Later, I had screeched to a halt at the lip of a sharp declivity and, unable to find a foothold, simply timberrrrrrrrred into the sagebrush.

From New York Times