descent
word
/dɪˈsɛnt/
di-SENT
/dɪsˈɛnt/
di-SENT
Definition
A movement from a higher place to a lower one, or a person’s family background or ancestry.
Usage & Nuances
Used formally or neutrally. Common collocations: 'rapid descent', 'descent into chaos', 'of French descent'. As ancestry, often used in 'of [country] descent'. Do not confuse with 'decent' (good) or 'descendant' (someone's child/grandchild, etc.).
Spanish: descenso - descenso (movimiento) - descendencia (origen familiar)Portuguese (BR): descida - descendência (origem familiar)Portuguese (PT): descida - descendência (origem familiar)Chinese (Simplified): 下降 - 血统Chinese (Traditional): 下降 - 血統Hindi: अवरोहण - वंशArabic: هبوط - نسبBengali: অবতরণ - বংশRussian: спуск - происхождениеJapanese: 降下 - 家系Vietnamese: sự đi xuống - dòng dõiKorean: 하강 - 혈통Turkish: iniş - soyUrdu: نزول - نسبIndonesian: penurunan - keturunan
Example Sentences
There was a steep descent just before the river.
natural
She claims descent from a famous poet.
natural
After sunset, the town was lost in a swift descent into darkness.
natural
The descent from the mountain took two hours.
basic
His family is of Italian descent.
basic
They studied their descent to learn about their ancestors.
basic