descent
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.
Origin of descent
1word story For descent
Though the word descent has been around for over half a millennium, some of its early senses are still in use. In the 1330s one use of descent described familial ancestry. Darwin popularized and expanded this term in Victorian England with his study of the origins of humans and our simian relatives from a common ancestor. This sense is very familiar to speakers of current English who have studied natural history. We also often hear descent in the context of ancestry such as “African descent” or “Scandinavian descent.” Another early use describes an object moving from a higher position to a lower position. Today, we still use this sense when talking about the downward movement of an airplane as it prepares to land. In religious contexts, one might hear about the Descent of Christ into Hell, a sense first appropriated in the 19th century.
Be careful not to confuse descent with decent. While it’s easy to leave out just one “s,” people are sure to express dissent (another word not to be confused with descent ) with your diction.
popular references For descent
—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 words for descent
Other words from descent
- pre·de·scent, noun
- re·de·scent, noun
Words that may be confused with descent
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for descent
/ (dɪˈsɛnt) /
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
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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