descent

[dih-sent]

noun

1. the act, process, or fact of moving from a higher to a lower position.

   Synonyms: drop, fall

2. a downward inclination or slope.

   Synonyms: slant, declivity, grade, decline

3. a passage or stairway leading down.

4. derivation from an ancestor; lineage; extraction.

   Synonyms: origin, parentage, ancestry

5. any passing from higher to lower in degree or state; decline.

   Synonyms: downturn, contraction, decline, plunge, drop, decrease

6. a sudden raid or hostile attack.

   Synonyms: incursion, raid, foray, assault

7. Law.,  transmission of real property by intestate succession.

descent

/ dɪˈsɛnt /

noun

1. the act of descending

2. a downward slope or inclination

3. a passage, path, or way leading downwards

4. derivation from an ancestor or ancestral group; lineage

5. (in genealogy) a generation in a particular lineage

6. a decline or degeneration

7. a movement or passage in degree or state from higher to lower

8. (often foll by on) a sudden and overwhelming arrival or attack

9. property law (formerly) the transmission of real property to the heir on an intestacy

Other Word Forms

• predescent noun
• redescent noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of descent¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French descente, derivative of descendre “to come down,” modeled on such pairs as vente, vendre; descend

Example Sentences

And while it’s a work meant to entertain, the creators hope that it also ignites new curiosity in younger audiences, particularly those in Mexico and of Mexican descent elsewhere, to learn more about Indigenous peoples.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

About a quarter are of European descent, and the islands have been under French control since they were annexed in 1853.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The islands have been under French control since they were annexed in 1853, and about a quarter of residents are of European descent.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

White Namibians, mainly of Afrikaner and German descent, constitute 2% of the population but, according to Namibia’s statistics authority, own 70% of commercial farmland.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The suspect was named by police on Thursday as Jihad Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• extraction 
• lineage 
• origin 
• parentage 

When To Use

What’s the difference between descent, dissent, and decent?

Descent is a noun that means the act of moving downward (descending), a downward movement, or downward movement in general. Dissent can be a noun meaning disagreement, as in I voiced my dissent, or a verb meaning to disagree, as in The judge is expected to dissent. Decent is an adjective that means adequate or suitable, as in a decent meal, or good or respectable, as in a decent person.Descent and dissent are pronounced exactly the same. Perhaps the best way to remember the difference between them is to think about what related words mean and how they’re spelled. Words related to descent involve movement and are spelled with sc, including descend, ascent, ascension, and transcend. Words related to dissent involve agreement or disagreement and end with -sent, including assent and consent.Despite their similar spelling, descent and decent are pronounced differently. In descent, the emphasis is on the -scent part of the word, with the first part pronounced like dih. In decent, the emphasis is on the first part of the word, which is pronounced like dee.So how can you remember which one gets the s? Dropping the s is the decent thing to do, but you should pick it back up for your descent. (And if you dissent, pick up two s’s).Here’s an example of descent, dissent, and decent used correctly in a sentence.Example: There was dissent among the climbers about when they should make the descent, but they decided to do it while the weather was still decent.