Definitions for descent
dɪˈsɛntde·scent

Princeton's WordNet(1.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. descentnoun

   a movement downward

2. origin, descent, extractionnoun

   properties attributable to your ancestry

   "he comes from good origins"

3. descentnoun

   the act of changing your location in a downward direction

4. descent, line of descent, lineage, filiationnoun

   the kinship relation between an individual and the individual's progenitors

5. descent, declivity, fall, decline, declination, declension, downslopenoun

   a downward slope or bend

6. lineage, line, line of descent, descent, bloodline, blood line, blood, pedigree, ancestry, origin, parentage, stemma, stocknoun

   the descendants of one individual

   "his entire lineage has been warriors"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. descentnoun

   An instance of descending

   We climbed the mountain with difficulty, but the descent was easier.

   Etymology: From and descente, from descendre; see descend. Compare ascent, ascend.

2. descentnoun

   A way down.

   We had difficulty in finding the correct descent.

   Etymology: From and descente, from descendre; see descend. Compare ascent, ascend.

3. descentnoun

   A sloping passage or incline.

   The descent into the cavern was wet and slippery.

   Etymology: From and descente, from descendre; see descend. Compare ascent, ascend.

4. descentnoun

   Lineage or hereditary derivation

   Our guide was of Welsh descent.

   Etymology: From and descente, from descendre; see descend. Compare ascent, ascend.

5. descentnoun

   A drop to a lower status or condition.

   After that, the holiday went into a steep descent.

   Etymology: From and descente, from descendre; see descend. Compare ascent, ascend.

Webster Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Descentnoun

   the act of descending, or passing downward; change of place from higher to lower

2. Descentnoun

   incursion; sudden attack; especially, hostile invasion from sea; -- often followed by upon or on; as, to make a descent upon the enemy

3. Descentnoun

   progress downward, as in station, virtue, as in station, virtue, and the like, from a higher to a lower state, from a higher to a lower state, from the more to the less important, from the better to the worse, etc

4. Descentnoun

   derivation, as from an ancestor; procedure by generation; lineage; birth; extraction

5. Descentnoun

   transmission of an estate by inheritance, usually, but not necessarily, in the descending line; title to inherit an estate by reason of consanguinity

6. Descentnoun

   inclination downward; a descending way; inclined or sloping surface; declivity; slope; as, a steep descent

7. Descentnoun

   that which is descended; descendants; issue

8. Descentnoun

   a step or remove downward in any scale of gradation; a degree in the scale of genealogy; a generation

9. Descentnoun

   lowest place; extreme downward place

10. Descentnoun

    a passing from a higher to a lower tone

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Descent

   Descent is a 3D first-person shooter video game developed by Parallax Software and released by Interplay on March 17, 1995. The game features six degrees of freedom gameplay and garnered several expansion packs. It spawned two direct sequels: Descent II and Descent 3. The trademark registration for Descent was allowed to lapse by Interplay in 2002 and was re-registered in 2008.

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. descent

   The landing of troops for the purpose of invading a country. The passage down a river.

Matched Categories

1. • Change Of Location
   • Lineage
   • Motion

British National Corpus

1. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'descent' in Nouns Frequency: #2854

Anagrams for descent »

1. scented

How to pronounce descent?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say descent in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of descent in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of descent in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of descent in a Sentence

1. Michael Woods:

   I ’m the first Canadian to wear it and I ’m proud of that, on the crash, it’s my fault, I got in front because it was a dangerous descent but my wheel slipped.

2. Norbert Lammert:

   I wouldn't have thought it possible that in the 21st Century, a democratically elected president would link his criticism of democratically elected lawmakers in the German Bundestag with doubts about their Turkish descent and describe their blood as tainted.

3. Virgil:

   Oh you who are born of the blood of the gods, Trojan son of Anchises. Easy is the descent to hell the door of dark Dis stands open day and night. But to retrace your steps and come out to the air above, that is work; that is labor.

4. Astronaut Scott Kelly:

   We checked them to make sure that they were still going to protect us if we needed to use them, we have some kind of on-orbit training that covers the descent procedures, so we're fresh with those. We talked to the specialists on the ground about all operations from the time we close the hatch until the time we get pulled out of the Soyuz. So, it's a pretty busy time. It's important, clearly, when you're coming back from space that we get everything right.

5. Ban Ki-moon:

   “The international community cannot accept that whole communities are marginalized because of the color of their skin. People of African descent are among those most affected by racism. Too often, they face denial of basic rights such as access to quality health services and education. Such fundamental wrongs have a long and terrible history.”

Images & Illustrations of descent

Popularity rank by frequency of use