descent

noun

de·​scent di-ˈsent 

1

a

: derivation from an ancestor : birth, lineage

of French descent

patrilineal descent

b

: transmission or devolution of an estate (see estate entry 1 sense 4b) by inheritance usually in the descending line

c

: the fact or process of originating from an ancestral stock

the descent of modern humans and chimpanzees from a common ancestor

d

: the shaping or development in nature and character by transmission from a source : derivation

… could trace a faint but sure descent from Roman law.

—R. W. Southern

2

: the act or process of descending from a higher to a lower level, rank, or state

begin our descent down the mountain

3

: a step downward in a scale of gradation

specifically : one generation in an ancestral line or genealogical scale

His pedigree shows eleven descents.

4

a

: an inclination downward : slope

a nearly perpendicular descent

b

: a way (such as a downgrade or stairway) that descends or leads downward

c

obsolete : the lowest part

from the extremest upward of thy head to the descent and dust below thy foot

—Shakespeare

5

a

: attack, invasion

descent of the locusts

b

: a sudden disconcerting appearance (as for a visit)

unprepared for the descent of her in-laws

6

: a downward step (as in station or value) : decline

the descent of the family into poverty

Synonyms

• dip
• dive
• down
• drop
• fall
• nosedive
• plunge

Examples of descent in a Sentence

The book describes his descent into a deep depression after the death of his wife.

her slow descent to a life of addiction

The only path that goes down to the river is a rather steep descent, so be careful.

Recent Examples on the Web

Three men of Palestinian descent — college students at Brown, Trinity and Haverford — were shot during Thanksgiving break near the University of Vermont in Burlington. —Janet Lorin, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2023

Two astronauts then would move into the HLS for descent to the moon's south polar region. —William Harwood, CBS News, 30 Nov. 2023

These are in addition to other features including trailer brake controller, trailer hitch view, hill descent control and blind spot monitoring with trailer view. —Scotty Reiss, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023

While his study focused on Cuban Americans and Cuban immigrants, Carter said his team has heard anecdotes of other Miami immigrant groups adopting the dialect, including those not of Latino descent. —Raquel Coronell Uribe, Washington Post, 29 Nov. 2023

In today's newsletter: A suspect has been arrested in the shooting of three U.S. college students of Palestinian descent in Vermont. —Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 27 Nov. 2023

Marty Krofft was born in Montreal to parents of Russian descent. —Carmel Dagan, Variety, 26 Nov. 2023

During the descent, the capsules were supposed to broadcast their position so that their trajectory could be monitored and the position of the landing zone revised. —Discover Magazine, 17 Nov. 2023

This would help minimize the amount of time that the station would spend in lower, denser levels of the atmosphere during the remainder of its descent. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 21 Nov. 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French descente, from Anglo-French descendre — see descend

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing descent

• of royal descent

• of royal descent

Kids Definition

descent

noun

de·​scent di-ˈsent 

1

: one's line of ancestors : birth, lineage

2

: the act or process of descending

3

: a downward step (as in station or value) : decline

4

a

: a downward slant : slope

b

: a descending way (as a stairway)

5

: a sudden raid or assault

Medical Definition

descent

noun

de·​scent di-ˈsent 

1

: the act or process of descending from a higher to a lower location

descent of the testes into the scrotum

2

a

: derivation from an ancestor

b

: the fact or process of originating by generation from an ancestral stock (as a species or genus)

3

: a former method of distillation in which the material was heated in a vessel having its outlet underneath so that the vapors produced were forced to descend

Legal Definition

descent

noun

de·​scent

: transmission or devolution of the estate of a person who has died without a valid will compare distribution