ascendant
ascendant Lexical Profile
ascendant Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Rising in power, status, or influence; becoming dominant or superior.
"The emergent political coalition quickly became the ascendant force in the regional parliament."
Moving upward; in astronomy and astrology, rising above the eastern horizon.
"Ancient astronomers carefully charted the ascendant stars visible just before dawn."
• noun
A position or state of dominance, superiority, or growing influence (especially in the phrase 'in the ascendant').
"Renewable energy technologies are clearly in the ascendant as global industries transition away from fossil fuels."
In astrology, the point of the ecliptic or sign of the zodiac that rises above the eastern horizon at the exact moment of a person's birth or a given event.
"The astrologer calculated her natal chart using both her sun sign and her ascendant."
An ancestor or forebear in a direct line of genealogical descent.
"Under the civil code, property may be inherited by direct ascendants if the deceased leaves no children."
Word Nuance & Usage
While both 'ascendant' and 'ascendent' are accepted spellings in English, 'ascendant' is significantly more common in modern usage across both adjective and noun senses.
• Rhymes for ascendant
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French 'ascendant', from the Latin present participle 'ascendens' ('climbing up'), formed from 'ad-' ('to, toward') and 'scandere' ('to climb').