ascendant

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French ascendant, from Latin ascendens.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /əˈsɛndənt/
  • Audio (RP)(file)

Adjective

ascendant (comparative more ascendant, superlative most ascendant)

  1. Rising, moving upward.
  2. Surpassing or controlling.
    • 1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), 6th edition, London: […] J[ames] Bettenham, for Jonah Bowyer, […], published 1727, →OCLC:
      An ascendant spirit above him.
    • 1848, John Stuart Mill, Principles of Political Economy: With Some of Their Applications to Social Philosophy. […], volume I, London: John W[illiam] Parker, […], →OCLC, book I (Production), page 19:
      […] while the ascendant community obtained a surplus of wealth, available for purposes of collective luxury or magnificence.
    • 1995 May 21, Steven Levy, “The Unabomber and David Gelernter”, in The New York Times‎, →ISSN:
      At the same time, he sees our current society, where computers are ascendant, as lacking authority.
    • 2015 August 1, Martin Chulov, “Ascendant Kurds emerge from Syrian civil war as major power player”, in The Guardian‎:
      Now, with Syria’s Kurds ascendant, hopes that the country as it is now may again be controlled from Damascus are also falling.

Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Noun

ascendant (plural ascendants)

  1. Being in control; superiority, or commanding influence; ascendancy.
    One man has the ascendant over another.
    • 1672, William Temple, “An Essay upon the Original and Nature of Government. […]”, in Miscellanea. The First Part. [...], 3rd edition, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], and Awnsham and John Churchill, […], published 1691, →OCLC, pages 91–92:
      [T]he Dominion of ſucceeding Favourites [...] occaſioned perpetual commotions in that State, and changes of the Miniſtry; and would certainly have produced thoſe in the Government too; if [Cardinal] Richelieu having gained the abſolute aſcendant in that Court, had not engaged in the deſigns at firſt of a War upon the Hugonots, and after that was ended, upon Spain; [...]
    • 1769, William Robertson, The History of the Reign of the Emperor Charles V. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] W. and W. Strahan, for W[illiam] Strahan, T[homas] Cadell, […]; and J. Balfour, […], →OCLC:
      Chievres had acquired over the mind of the young monarch the ascendant not only of a tutor, but of a parent.
  2. An ancestor.
    Antonym: descendant
    • 1726, John Ayliffe, Parergon juris canonici Anglicani
      Ascendants and Descendants , are , by the Civil Law , stiled by the Title of Nefarious as well as Incestuous , to shew the Abhorrence that Law has of such kind of Marriages.
  3. (usually followed by to) A royal heir assuming (a place of power).
    Given his father’s ghastly demise, one would not expect such glee from the ascendant to his throne.
  4. Ascent; height; elevation.
  5. (astrology) The horoscope, or that degree of the ecliptic which rises above the horizon at the moment of one's birth; supposed to have a commanding influence on a person's life and fortune.
    • May 26 1795, Edmund Burke, letter to Hercules Langrish
      taught by the jealous ascendants, sometimes by doctrine, sometimes by example, always by provocation.

Translations

Anagrams

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ascendens, ascendentem.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /a.sɑ̃.dɑ̃/
  • Audio(file)

Participle

ascendant

  1. present participle of ascendre

Adjective

ascendant (feminine ascendante, masculine plural ascendants, feminine plural ascendantes)

  1. ascendant

Derived terms

Noun

ascendant m (plural ascendants)

  1. (astrology) ascendant
  2. supremacy, ascendancy
    L'équipe adverse a repris l'ascendant du match. ― The opposing team regained the supremacy of the match.
  3. (genealogy) ancestor, forefather, progenitor

Further reading

Latin

Verb

ascendant

  1. third-person plural present active subjunctive of ascendō
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