ascension

noun

as·​cen·​sion ə-ˈsen(t)-shən How to pronounce ascension (audio)
Synonyms of ascension
: the act or process of ascending

Synonyms of ascension

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of ascension in a Sentence

The play tells of his ascension to the presidency. the ascension of women in society
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Platner’s noisy ascension and implosion didn’t just leave the Democrats looking untrustworthy. — Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 26 Oct. 2026 Lin’s ascension to the top Netflix film job turned heads in 2024. — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026 The band hovers in a razor-thin lacuna between heaven and hell, between ascension and purgatory, on the verge of going either way. — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026 Zverev's ascension to the top ranking comes after two of his ex-girlfriends accused him of physical abuse. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ascension

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin ascension-, ascensio, from ascendere

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ascension was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing ascension

Rhymes for ascension

See All Rhymes for ascension

Browse Nearby Words

ascend (to) the throne
ascension
Ascension
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ascension.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ascension. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

ascension

noun
as·​cen·​sion ə-ˈsen-chən How to pronounce ascension (audio)
: the act or process of ascending

Geographical Definition

Ascension

geographical name

As·​cen·​sion ə-ˈsen(t)-shən How to pronounce Ascension (audio)
isolated island in the South Atlantic belonging to the British colony of Saint Helena area 34 square miles (88 square kilometers)

More from Merriam-Webster on ascension

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ascension

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All