Meaning & use
ascension
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Meanings
noununcountableformal
The act of rising to a higher position, rank or level, especially of power.
Grammar: Mostly uncountable; often followed by to: her ascension to the throne.
Patterns
- ascension to something
Her ascension to the presidency surprised many analysts.
The king's ascension was celebrated across the country.
The ascension of the company to market leader took only five years.
nouncountable or uncountableliterary
The physical act of going upward, such as climbing or rising through the air.
Grammar: Often used for balloons, rockets and climbers: the balloon's ascension.
Patterns
- the ascension of something
The balloon's ascension drew a crowd of onlookers.
They filmed the rocket's ascension from the beach.
His ascension of the north face took three days.
nounproperreligion
In Christian belief, the rising of Jesus into heaven, usually written with a capital letter; also the church festival marking it.
Grammar: Usually capitalized and often used with the: the Ascension.
Patterns
- the Ascension
- Ascension Day
The church celebrates the Ascension forty days after Easter.
Ascension Day is a public holiday in several countries.
The painting depicts the Ascension of Christ.
Word forms
| plural | ascensions |
|---|
Common combinations
- ascension to power
- His ascension to power was swift and unexpected.
- ascension to the throne
- The queen's ascension to the throne was marked by a parade.
- meteoric ascension
- The singer's meteoric ascension surprised even her fans.
- Ascension Day
- Schools are closed on Ascension Day.
- rapid ascension
- The rapid ascension of the rocket was visible for miles.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rise
- Rise is the common word and works in most situations, whereas ascension sounds more formal and ceremonial.
- accession
- Accession is used for formally taking a throne or office, while ascension also covers any upward climb.
- climb
- Climb stresses effort and gradual progress, whereas ascension is more abstract.
- elevation
- Elevation can mean height or promotion and often sounds more official or technical.
Opposites
Word family
- ascend verb
- to go up or rise
- ascent noun
- an upward climb or rise
- ascendant adjective
- rising in power or influence
- ascendancy noun
- a position of dominance
- descend verb
- to go down
Commonly confused: ascension or ascent? ascension or assent?
ascension vs ascent
Ascent is the usual word for a physical climb up, while ascension is more formal and often about rank or religion.
ascension vs assent
Assent means agreement and is pronounced differently in stress; it has nothing to do with rising.
Practice
Which word best completes the sentence? 'The prince's ___ to the throne followed his father's death.'
Choose one answer.
Ascension means rising to a high position. Descent and decline mean going down, and assent means agreement.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ascension”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.