ascension

noun as·cen·sion \ ə-ˈsen(t)-shən \

Definition of ascension

: the act or process of ascending

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Examples of ascension in a Sentence

The play tells of his ascension to the presidency.
the ascension of women in society

Recent Examples of ascension from the Web

Barreto compared the ascension of de León, Villaraigosa and others to the political deliverance experienced by Italian American politicians generations ago.

— marcos bretón, sacbee, "California’s top Latino candidates face a tougher enemy than Trump: Fellow Democrats," 5 Nov. 2017
However the recent ascension of 17-year-old winger Reiss Nelson through the Gunners own ranks, could put Arsene Wenger off trying to bring Musonda to the club.

— SI.com, "Belgian Starlet Charly Musonda Set to Leave Chelsea in January Over Lack of Opportunities," 3 Nov. 2017
With the ascension of Mr. Wirth, Chevron follows a number of other large oil companies who now have engineers and operations specialists with experience running refineries at the helm.

— bradley olson, WSJ, "Chevron Names Michael Wirth Chairman, CEO," 28 Sep. 2017
Many viewers and critics drew parallels to modern fears about the current state of politics, and the ascension of right-wing politicians across the West.

— lucas shaw, Bloomberg.com, "‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Wins Emmy for Top Drama in First for Streaming," 18 Sep. 2017
The most points the Colts have ever given up in the Indianapolis era is 408 in 2015, though that number is undoubtedly skewed by the ascension of aerial-first offenses in recent years.

— zak keefer, Indianapolis Star, "The four most alarming stats of the Indianapolis Colts' disastrous start," 24 Oct. 2017
The protests are the largest against Gnassingbe's rule since his ascension to power.

— tonny onyulo, USA TODAY, "How these African leaders subvert democracy to cling to power for life," 23 Oct. 2017
Making his ascension to the pantheon complete, Lenin then went out in front of the station and gave a speech from atop an armored car.

— olga ingurazova, Smithsonian, "What Ever Happened to the Russian Revolution?," 29 Sep. 2017
At center, Justin Britt’s 2016 ascension has stalled.

— andy benoit, SI.com, "It’s Time for Seattle to Put Russell Wilson on the Move," 25 Sep. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of ascension

Middle English, from Latin ascension-, ascensio, from ascendere

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First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined above

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ascension Synonyms

Ascension

geographical name As·cen·sion \ ə-ˈsen(t)-shən \

Definition of Ascension

isolated island in the South Atlantic belonging to the British colony of Saint Helena area 34 square miles (88 square kilometers), population 1400

ASCENSION Defined for English Language Learners

ascension

noun

Definition of ascension for English Language Learners

: the act of rising or ascending; especially : the act of moving to a higher or more powerful position
the Ascension : the Christian holiday that celebrates Jesus Christ's journey to heaven after his death