descent
1 ENTRIES FOUND:
plural
descents
plural
descents
Britannica Dictionary definition of DESCENT
formal
1
[count]
:
the act or process of descending: such as
a
:
the act or process of going from a higher to a lower place or level
— usually singular
—
opposite ascent
-
The climbers were faced with a dangerous descent in bad weather.
-
the submarine's descent
-
After only an hour of flight, the pilot announced our descent.
b
:
the act or process or changing to a worse state or condition
-
The book describes his descent into a deep depression after the death of his wife.
-
her slow descent to a life of addiction
2
[count]
:
a way of going down something
:
a downward slope, path, etc.
-
The only path that goes down to the river is a rather steep descent, so be careful.
3
[noncount]
:
the people in your family who lived before you were born
:
your ancestors
-
Many people in this area are of German descent. [=ancestry]
-
They claim to be of royal descent. [=they say that their ancestors were kings, queens, etc.]
