ascendant
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /əˈsɛnd(ə)nt/
ipa: /əˈsɛndənt/
rhymes: -ɛndənt
Forms: form: more ascendant
form: most ascendant
form: ascendent
Etymology: PIE word
 *h₂éd
The adjective is derived from Late Middle English ascendent (“ascending, rising; increasing in quantity; (astronomy) rising above the horizon”) [and other forms], borrowed from Old French ascendant, from Latin ascendentem, the accusative singular of ascendēns (“ascending, rising”), the present participle of ascendō, adscendō (“to climb up, go up, move upwards; to rise; to spring up”), from ad- (prefix meaning ‘(up) to’) + scandō (“to ascend, climb, mount; to clamber”) (from Proto-Indo-European *skend- (“to climb, scale; to dart; to jump; to scan (poetry)”)). The English word is analysable as ascend (verb) + -ant (suffix forming adjectives from verbs with the sense of ‘doing [the verbal actions]’).
The noun is probably derived from the adjective, though it is attested earlier than the latter.
Senses: examples: text: [A]ll true and frutefull Natvrall Philosophie, hath A double Scale or Ladder, Aſcendent and Deſcendent, aſcending from experiments to the Inuention of cauſes; and deſcending from cauſes, to the Inuention of nevve experiments; Therefore I iudge it moſt requiſite, that theſe tvvo parts be ſeuerally conſidered and handled.
ref: 1605, Francis Bacon, “The Second Booke”, in The Twoo Bookes of Francis Bacon. Of the Proficience and Aduancement of Learning, Diuine and Humane, London: […] [Thomas Purfoot and Thomas Creede] for Henrie Tomes, […], →OCLC, folio 24, verso:
text: […] Chriſt, that he might not make either a ſuſpected or precarious Addreſs to Men's Underſtandings, out-does Moſes, before he diſplaces him; ſhevvs an aſcendant Spirit above him, raiſes the Dead, and cures more Plagues than he brought upon Egypt, […]
ref: 1692, Robert South, “A Sermon Preached upon John vii. 17.”, in Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions. […], volume I, London: […] J[ohn] H[eptinstall] for Thomas Bennet, […], →OCLC, pages 215–216:
text: The body [of the dragon] mounts ascendant; / The head before, the tail behind, / The wings, like sails that want a wind, / On either side are pendant.
ref: 1830 July, Robert Southey, “The Young Dragon. Part IV.”, in The Poetical Works of Robert Southey. […], volume VI, London: […] [Andrew Spottiswoode] for Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, & Longmans, […], published 1838, →OCLC, page 279:
text: [A]s the proper profile for the curve is that of a tree bough, as we saw above, so the proper arrangement of its farther ornament is that which best expresses rooted and ascendant strength like that of foliage.
ref: 1851, John Ruskin, “The Cornice and Capital”, in The Stones of Venice, volume I (The Foundations), London: Smith, Elder, and Co., […], →OCLC, page 303:
glosses: Moving upward; ascending, rising.
examples: text: In some cases the conquering state contented itself with imposing a tribute on the vanquished: who, being, in consideration of that burthen, freed from the expense and trouble of their own military and naval protection, might enjoy under it a considerable share of economical prosperity, while the ascendant community obtained a surplus of wealth, available for purposes of collective luxury or magnificence.
ref: 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:
text: Without some power of persuading or confuting—of defending himself against accusation, or in case of need, accusing others—no man could possibly hold an ascendent position.
ref: 1850, George Grote, “The Drama—Rhetoric and Dialectics—The Sophists”, in History of Greece, volume VIII, London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, part II (Continuation of Historical Greece), page 463:
text: At the same time, he [David Gelernter] sees our current society, where computers are ascendant, as lacking authority.
ref: 1995 May 21, Steven Levy, “The Unabomber and David Gelernter”, in The New York Times Magazine (section 6), New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 11 Jun 2023, page 50:
text: Now, with Syria's Kurds ascendant, hopes that the country as it is now may again be controlled from Damascus are also falling.
ref: 2015 August 1, Martin Chulov, “Ascendant Kurds emerge from Syrian civil war as major power player”, in The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 11 Dec 2022:
synonyms: superior
glosses: Controlling, dominant, surpassing.
examples: text: This Phœbus promis'd, I forget the Year, / VVhen thoſe blue eyes firſt open'd on the Sphere; / Aſcendant Phœbus vvatch'd that hour vvith care, / Averted half your Parents ſimple Pray'r, / And gave you Beauty, but deny'd the Pelf / That buys your Sex a Tyrant o'er itſelf: […]
ref: 1735, [Alexander] Pope, Of the Characters of Women: An Epistle to a Lady [Martha Blount] [Moral Essays], London: […] J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver […], →OCLC, page 16:
english: Moral Essays
translation: Moral Essays
topics: astrology
human-sciences
mysticism
philosophy
sciences
glosses: In an eastern direction rising just above the horizon.
examples: text: [W]e muſt diſcover freezing ſtars that may reſolve the latter colds of vvinter, vvhich vvho ever deſires to invent, let him ſtudie the ſtarres of Andromeda, or the nearer conſtellation of Pegaſus, vvhich are about that time aſcendant.
ref: 1646, Thomas Browne, “Of the Canicular or Dogdayes”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], London: […] T[homas] H[arper] for Edward Dod, […], →OCLC, 4th book, page 227:
topics: astronomy
natural-sciences
glosses: Rising towards the zenith.
examples: text: Artere ſouſclaviere. The aſcendant branch of the great Arterie.
ref: 1611, Randle Cotgrave, compiler, “Sousclavier”, in A Dictionarie of the French and English Tongues, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, signature Eeee iij, recto:
topics: biology
botany
medicine
natural-sciences
physiology
sciences
glosses: Of a part of an organism: synonym of ascending (“leading or sloping upwards”).
qualifier: genealogy
glosses: Synonym of ascending (“of or pertaining to one's ancestors”).
synonyms: word: ascending
extra: of or pertaining to one's ancestors
Derived terms: word: ascendance
word: ascendancy
word: ascendency
word: ascendantly
word: ascendental
word: reascendant
Related terms: word: ascend
word: ascent
word: ascending
word: ascender