descent

The act of moving from a higher place to a lower one.

• The plane began its descent.
• Our descent from the mountain was slow.
• A sudden descent made several passengers nervous.

How to use it: descent from something (Our descent from the summit took two hours.); descent into something (The plane began its descent into the valley.)

Opposites: ascent

Common phrases: begin the descent, rapid descent, descent from something

The family or group of people your parents and earlier relatives came from.

• She is of Turkish descent.
• Many families here have mixed descent.
• He traced his descent from ancestors who lived in Scotland.

How to use it: of … descent (Her grandparents were of Italian descent.); descent from someone (He traced his descent from a local farming family.)

Similar words: ancestry, origin, lineage

Common phrases: of Irish descent, mixed descent, African descent, of Welsh descent

A path or route that leads from a higher place to a lower one.

• This descent is very steep.
• We chose the descent on the eastern side.
• Is there an easier descent to the valley?

How to use it: descent to something (This descent to the village is safer.)

Similar words: way down, downhill route

Common phrases: steep descent, descent to something, find a descent, slippery descent