Meaning & use
descent
The act of moving downward, or a person's family origin and lineage.
See it in a sentence
The plane's descent was smooth despite the strong winds over the mountains.
He is of Irish descent on his mother's side of the family.
A note on using this word
Covers both a physical downward movement and a figurative sense of family background or heritage.
Words with a similar meaning
declineancestry
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “descent”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.