descent
An instance of descending; act of coming down.
Example
“We climbed the mountain with difficulty, but the descent was easier.”
Other meanings
A sloping passage or incline.
“The descent into the cavern was wet and slippery.”
Lineage or hereditary derivation.
“Our guide was of Welsh descent.”
Synonyms
- lineage
- line
- line of descent
- ancestry
- origin
- stock
Related words
- double descent
- matrilineal descent
- patrilineal descent
- maldescent
- redescent
- hypodescent
- hyperdescent
- bilateral descent
- descent group
- descent vehicle
- gradient descent
- graduate student descent
Word history
From Anglo-Norman "descendre" (to descend).
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “descent” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.