ascendant
1 of 2noun
as·cen·dant ə-ˈsen-dənt 
variants or less commonly ascendent
1
: the point of the ecliptic or degree of the zodiac that rises above the eastern horizon at any moment
2
: a state or position of dominant power or importance
3
: a lineal or collateral relative in the ascending line
ascendant
2 of 2adjective
variants or less commonly ascendent
1
a
: moving upward : rising
b
: directed upward
an ascendant stem
2
a
: superior
b
: dominant sense 1a
ascendantly adverb
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Rachel Pannett, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2022 The theme of youth ascendant carried over to Saturday night’s performance, for which the BSO yielded the stage to the students and early-career musicians of the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra under the baton of Andris Nelsons. Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, 25 July 2022 The fast-ascendant baritone Jarrett Ott, as Seward, mastered a demanding tessitura and vividly conveyed the character’s arrogance and agony. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2021 The unique placement of the planets in the houses is determined by your rising sign, also known as your ascendant. Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, 4 July 2021 Harris's North Node of Destiny in Sagittarius falls on his ascendant in Sagittarius, which means that their pairing is fated in the stars. Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 13 Aug. 2020 The ruler of the ascendant is Jupiter, which is located in the first house. Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 13 Aug. 2020 Another good sign: On Election Day, the Moon will be in Gemini, on Harris's ascendant, and on the transiting North Node of Destiny. Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 13 Aug. 2020 There has been a fundamental shift in the way electricity is generated in the United States, with cleaner energy sources such as natural gas, wind and solar power ascendant. New York Times, 2 June 2018 Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2022 However, with social conservatives ascendant, Sun Belt leaders are feeling free to threaten and even punish corporations that criticize their policies. Lindsay Beyerstein, The New Republic, 2 Aug. 2022 In the realist novels of writers such as Balzac and Stendhal, for instance, cheer is associated with lower-class provincial men on the make, happily hustling and ascendant in a new capitalist world. Ian Beacock, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2022 In Berkeley, the failure to build housing goes back decades, but the politics have changed, with YIMBYs instead of NIMBYs ascendant. Fifth & Mission Podcast, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Mar. 2022 If Chapek’s strategy proves right, then long live the ascendant king—and off with the unprofitable peasants. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2022 In addition, with an ascendant China, our dependance on foreign sources of energy will harm our ability to compete against their enormous economy. Anchorage Daily News, 5 Aug. 2022 Beijing’s belligerence might look like the mark of an ascendant superpower. Michael Beckley, WSJ, 4 Aug. 2022 Now Facebook is no longer ascendant, capital is harder to access and online marketing is much more complicated. Richard Kestenbaum, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022 See More
Noun
The key difference between the queen and the queen consort is that the queen is an ascendant to the throne through succession. Rachel Pannett, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2022 The theme of youth ascendant carried over to Saturday night’s performance, for which the BSO yielded the stage to the students and early-career musicians of the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra under the baton of Andris Nelsons. Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, 25 July 2022 The fast-ascendant baritone Jarrett Ott, as Seward, mastered a demanding tessitura and vividly conveyed the character’s arrogance and agony. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2021 The unique placement of the planets in the houses is determined by your rising sign, also known as your ascendant. Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, 4 July 2021 Harris's North Node of Destiny in Sagittarius falls on his ascendant in Sagittarius, which means that their pairing is fated in the stars. Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 13 Aug. 2020 The ruler of the ascendant is Jupiter, which is located in the first house. Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 13 Aug. 2020 Another good sign: On Election Day, the Moon will be in Gemini, on Harris's ascendant, and on the transiting North Node of Destiny. Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 13 Aug. 2020 There has been a fundamental shift in the way electricity is generated in the United States, with cleaner energy sources such as natural gas, wind and solar power ascendant. New York Times, 2 June 2018 Adjective
These moves make Gomez popular among the Catholic right, which is well-funded, ascendant and counts a super-majority of Supreme Court justices as fellow travelers. Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2022 However, with social conservatives ascendant, Sun Belt leaders are feeling free to threaten and even punish corporations that criticize their policies. Lindsay Beyerstein, The New Republic, 2 Aug. 2022 In the realist novels of writers such as Balzac and Stendhal, for instance, cheer is associated with lower-class provincial men on the make, happily hustling and ascendant in a new capitalist world. Ian Beacock, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2022 In Berkeley, the failure to build housing goes back decades, but the politics have changed, with YIMBYs instead of NIMBYs ascendant. Fifth & Mission Podcast, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Mar. 2022 If Chapek’s strategy proves right, then long live the ascendant king—and off with the unprofitable peasants. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2022 In addition, with an ascendant China, our dependance on foreign sources of energy will harm our ability to compete against their enormous economy. Anchorage Daily News, 5 Aug. 2022 Beijing’s belligerence might look like the mark of an ascendant superpower. Michael Beckley, WSJ, 4 Aug. 2022 Now Facebook is no longer ascendant, capital is harder to access and online marketing is much more complicated. Richard Kestenbaum, Forbes, 1 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English ascendent, from Medieval Latin ascendent-, ascendens, from Latin, present participle of ascendere
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adjective
1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing ascendant
Legal Definition
ascendant
noun
as·cen·dant
ə-ˈsen-dənt
: ancestor
ascendant
adjective
variants also ascendent
as in ascending
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- ascending
- soaring
- elevated
- upheld
- upper
- raised
- upward
- uplifted
- overlooking
- airy
- overhead
- high
- nosebleed
- uppermost
- topmost
- upraised
- upmost
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- descending
- descendant
- low
- fallen
- dropped
- grounded
- depressed
- lowered
- descendent
- sunken
- down
- lowermost
- low-lying
- level
- even
- undermost
- nethermost
- abreast