descent
Americannoun
-
the act, process, or fact of moving from a higher to a lower position.
-
a downward inclination or slope.
-
a passage or stairway leading down.
-
derivation from an ancestor; lineage; extraction.
-
any passing from higher to lower in degree or state; decline.
-
a sudden raid or hostile attack.
-
Law. transmission of real property by intestate succession.
noun
-
the act of descending
-
a downward slope or inclination
-
a passage, path, or way leading downwards
-
derivation from an ancestor or ancestral group; lineage
-
(in genealogy) a generation in a particular lineage
-
a decline or degeneration
-
a movement or passage in degree or state from higher to lower
-
(often foll by on) a sudden and overwhelming arrival or attack
-
property law (formerly) the transmission of real property to the heir on an intestacy
Usage
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.
Pop Culture
—Descent from the Cross: A biblical scene popularly depicted in art, of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus removing Christ from the cross after being crucified. — The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex: Charles Darwin's book on evolutionary theory, first published in 1871. —“The Descent”: A brief lyric poem by William Carlos Williams, first published in 1948. — The Descent: A science-fiction novel by Jeff Long, published in 1999. — The Descent: A British horror film, released in 2005 (with no relation to the novel of the same name).
Other Word Forms
- predescent noun
- redescent noun
Etymology
Origin of descent
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In Hialeah, where nearly three out of four residents are of Cuban descent, there is no question that shipments are a must.
From Barron's
The athletes are required to employ all their technical nous to transition efficiently, stripping off reusable 'skins' that give their skis grip for climbing so they can freely ski down two descents.
From Barron's
The deal has also not gone down well with many people of Chagossian descent, who were granted the right to claim British citizenship in 2022.
From BBC
The mixed team relay sees teams of one man and one woman completing four alternate laps of the course, with two ascents and two descents per lap.
From BBC
The sprint events consist of both an ascent and descent, with athletes sprinting uphill with skins on their skis to provide traction.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
