Definition of ASCENDENCY

Did You Know?

In the course of a year, the sun appears to pass through the twelve constellations of the zodiac in sequence, and all the planets also lie close to the solar path. The constellation and planet that are just rising, or ascendant, above the eastern horizon in the sun's path at the moment of a child's birth are said by astrologers to exercise a lifelong controlling influence over the child. This is the idea that lies at the heart of ascendancy, though the word today no longer hints at supernatural powers.

Examples of ascendancy in a Sentence

the ascendancy of the government a book chronicling the ascendancy of fascism in Europe after World War I

Recent Examples on the Web

Where coal-miner and steelworker unions used to provide some sense of solidarity, the ascendancy of mineral rights — privately owned and unequally distributed — have pitted neighbors against one another. — Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, "A Community Cracked Open by Fracking," 13 June 2018 The Beijing Olympics in 2008 seemed to crystallize China’s ascendancy. — James T. Areddy, WSJ, "American Entrepreneurs Who Flocked to China Are Heading Home, Disillusioned," 7 Dec. 2018 This kind of white identity politics has become more and more common in the mainstream conservative movement since Trump’s ascendancy. — Zack Beauchamp, Vox, "Study: 24 million white Americans think like the alt-right," 10 Aug. 2018 There is evidence that charity is now challenging the recent ascendancy of venture philanthropy and even gaining backers in Silicon Valley. — Kevin Conley, Town & Country, "A Farewell to Alms," 27 May 2014 Times were tough, and even with the introduction of Marcus Rashford to add a counter-attacking threat, Croatia were in the ascendancy in the final minutes. — SI.com, "Croatia 2-1 England (AET): Three Lions' Hearts Broken as Mandzukic Scores Extra Time Winner," 11 July 2018 The step was widely interpreted as a sign that the modernizers within the Saudi government may have gained ascendancy over the conservative hard-liners. — Rick Noack, Washington Post, "Jewish people have a right to their ‘own land,’ Saudi crown prince says as he seeks ally against Iran," 3 Apr. 2018 That’s an ascendancy narrative that Coombsville proselytizers, for example, would find familiar: new blood comes to town, quality improves, recognition follows, prices rise. — Esther Mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, "Is Napa running out of land for vineyards?," 22 Feb. 2018 Trump’s ascendancy to the White House has spurred many to action, including a crop of fledgling newcomers, all eager to effect change, though some possessing little or no government experience. — Chris Fuchs /, NBC News, "Midterm candidates bank on years of experience amidst wave of first timers," 16 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ascendancy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.