ascendant
adjective · noun
Simple meaning
In an eastern direction rising just above the horizon.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
uhsehnduhntSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
əˈsɛndənt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
Moving upward; ascending, rising.
astrology
In an eastern direction rising just above the horizon.
figurative
Controlling, dominant, surpassing.
noun
by extensionfigurative
Synonym of ascendancy ("commanding influence; dominant control; superiority, supremacy").
by extension
Chiefly in in the ascendant: an act of ascending or rising.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Word Aura is being prepared for this meaning.
More ways to use ascendant
- “That idea was in the ascendant.”noun
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “ascendant” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.