1
a
: the act of rising or mounting upward : climb
completed their ascent of the mountain
b
: an upward slope or rising grade : acclivity
followed the steep ascent to the top of the hill
c
: the degree of elevation : inclination, gradient
2
: an advance in social status or reputation : progress
their ascent from the lower class to the middle class
3
: a going back in time or upward in order of genealogical succession
Examples of ascent in a Sentence
They followed a steep ascent to the top of the hill.
our plane broke through some heavy low clouds during its ascent and leveled off once we were above them
Recent Examples on the Web
That story follows Christine’s ascent up the operatic ladder under the tutelage of the Phantom, who brings her to his lair on an underground lake beneath the opera house and presses her to choose between him and the wealthy childhood friend who’s re-entered her life (a solid Daniel Lopez).
—
Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 24 Nov. 2025
Halloway’s private rail cars are available on the leg that runs between San Francisco to Denver and includes the ascent from the Bay Area into the Sierra Nevada and along the red rock canyons of Utah.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 24 Nov. 2025
The island nation’s state-of-the-art sprawl testifies to its ascent as a global financial hub, a place for oligarchs to shelter their wealth and speculate.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
She was once cast as a secular heroine, the daughter of a revolutionary leader, whose brutal assassination in the 1970s defined her political ascent.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ascent
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Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 24 Nov. 2025
Halloway’s private rail cars are available on the leg that runs between San Francisco to Denver and includes the ascent from the Bay Area into the Sierra Nevada and along the red rock canyons of Utah.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 24 Nov. 2025
The island nation’s state-of-the-art sprawl testifies to its ascent as a global financial hub, a place for oligarchs to shelter their wealth and speculate.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
She was once cast as a secular heroine, the daughter of a revolutionary leader, whose brutal assassination in the 1970s defined her political ascent.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ascent
Cite this Entry
“Ascent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ascent. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ascent
noun
as·cent
ə-ˈsent 
a-
1
: the act of rising or climbing up
began their ascent of the mountain
2
: an upward slope
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