as·cen·dant
ə-ˈsen-dənt 
variants
or less commonly ascendent
1
: the point of the ecliptic or degree of the zodiac that rises above the eastern horizon at any moment
2
: a state or position of dominant power or importance
3
: a lineal or collateral relative in the ascending line
variants
or less commonly ascendent
ascendantly
adverb
Examples of ascendant in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Alice Gribbin, The New York Review of Books, 2 Nov. 2023
In 1976, moderate Republican President Gerald Ford fended off a conservative challenge from former California Gov. Ronald Reagan, who led the GOP's ascendant right against Ford's politics of deficit spending and détente toward the Soviet Union.
—Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2023
Deion Sanders and the ascendant Colorado Buffaloes were the talk of football—not just college football, but football, period.
—Jason Gay, WSJ, 30 Oct. 2023
Underpinning all this is a decades-old ethnic and socioeconomic tension between the secular elite and the ascendant right.
—Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 23 July 2023
Because of their gregarious nature, Gemini ascendants will also ace making connections with a wide variety of people.
—Aliza Pelto, Women's Health, 17 June 2023
In fact, your birth chart begins with your rising sign, or ascendant.
—Aliza Pelto, Women's Health, 17 June 2023
The muted interest reflects how DeSantis is having a harder time dominating the political conversation on the right, after appearing ascendant in the run-up to the 2022 elections.
—Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2023
Lang explains that the rare hybrid solar eclipse occurring on April 19 is in alignment with Harry’s ascendant in Libra and descendant in Aries—points in one’s birth chart that relate to the axis line between the self and other.
—Naydeline Mejia, Women's Health, 29 Apr. 2023
Sean Gregory, TIME, 2 Apr. 2024
But that was before historic turnover in the state legislature led to retiring lawmakers giving up their seats on the commission to other ascendant legislators — Lucas among them.
—Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
If Baugh beats Min in November, Republicans will have clawed back their congressional majority and at least partially deflated the narrative of an ascendant O.C. Democratic Party.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024
Whereas newly ascendant warriors and merchants used the tea gathering to flaunt their wealth, wabi-style tea emphasized subtlety, frugality and restraint.
—Paul S. Atkins, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2024
The album was released at the peak of grunge, when Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden still dominated alternative rock, and fast, irreverent punk pop groups such as the Offspring were ascendant.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 11 Mar. 2024
Meanwhile, an ascendant right wing is busy flogging the concept of the nuclear family — heterosexual, natch — with men as breadwinners and women maintaining the home and raising children.
—Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2024
Minimalism, as practiced by the likes of Donald Judd, Dan Flavin and Richard Serra — her then partner, and a sometime collaborator — was ascendant; with her mirrors, masks and costumes, Jonas consciously rejected the imperatives of the day.
—Susan Dominus Emiliano Granado, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
These remains span approximately 7,300 years, from the Mesolithic period, when hunter-gatherer lifestyles were warning, to the Neolithic period, when humans began settling and farming was ascendant, to the Early Bronze Age.
—Bradford Betz, Fox News, 19 Feb. 2024
Noun
God of a lack of abundance, cold-blooded, ascendant, how do the animals treat you, god?
—Alice Gribbin, The New York Review of Books, 2 Nov. 2023
In 1976, moderate Republican President Gerald Ford fended off a conservative challenge from former California Gov. Ronald Reagan, who led the GOP's ascendant right against Ford's politics of deficit spending and détente toward the Soviet Union.
—Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2023
Deion Sanders and the ascendant Colorado Buffaloes were the talk of football—not just college football, but football, period.
—Jason Gay, WSJ, 30 Oct. 2023
Underpinning all this is a decades-old ethnic and socioeconomic tension between the secular elite and the ascendant right.
—Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 23 July 2023
Because of their gregarious nature, Gemini ascendants will also ace making connections with a wide variety of people.
—Aliza Pelto, Women's Health, 17 June 2023
In fact, your birth chart begins with your rising sign, or ascendant.
—Aliza Pelto, Women's Health, 17 June 2023
The muted interest reflects how DeSantis is having a harder time dominating the political conversation on the right, after appearing ascendant in the run-up to the 2022 elections.
—Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2023
Lang explains that the rare hybrid solar eclipse occurring on April 19 is in alignment with Harry’s ascendant in Libra and descendant in Aries—points in one’s birth chart that relate to the axis line between the self and other.
—Naydeline Mejia, Women's Health, 29 Apr. 2023
Adjective
Clark quite simply delivered, as per usual, for the ascendant sport of women’s basketball, turning in a dream stat line—41 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds—in a dream rematch of last year’s final.
—Sean Gregory, TIME, 2 Apr. 2024
But that was before historic turnover in the state legislature led to retiring lawmakers giving up their seats on the commission to other ascendant legislators — Lucas among them.
—Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
If Baugh beats Min in November, Republicans will have clawed back their congressional majority and at least partially deflated the narrative of an ascendant O.C. Democratic Party.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024
Whereas newly ascendant warriors and merchants used the tea gathering to flaunt their wealth, wabi-style tea emphasized subtlety, frugality and restraint.
—Paul S. Atkins, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2024
The album was released at the peak of grunge, when Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden still dominated alternative rock, and fast, irreverent punk pop groups such as the Offspring were ascendant.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 11 Mar. 2024
Meanwhile, an ascendant right wing is busy flogging the concept of the nuclear family — heterosexual, natch — with men as breadwinners and women maintaining the home and raising children.
—Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2024
Minimalism, as practiced by the likes of Donald Judd, Dan Flavin and Richard Serra — her then partner, and a sometime collaborator — was ascendant; with her mirrors, masks and costumes, Jonas consciously rejected the imperatives of the day.
—Susan Dominus Emiliano Granado, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
These remains span approximately 7,300 years, from the Mesolithic period, when hunter-gatherer lifestyles were warning, to the Neolithic period, when humans began settling and farming was ascendant, to the Early Bronze Age.
—Bradford Betz, Fox News, 19 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ascendant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near ascendant
Cite this Entry
“Ascendant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ascendant. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ascendant
1 of 2 noun
as·cen·dant
ə-ˈsen-dənt
: a state or position of commanding power
ascendant
2 of 2 adjective1
: moving up : rising
2
a
: in a superior position
b
: inclined to control
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