3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Ascendant  \As*cend"ant\,  Ascendent  \As*cend"ent\,  a. 
  1.  Rising  toward  the  zenith;  above  the  horizon. 
 
  The  constellation  .  .  .  about  that  time  ascendant. 
  --Browne. 
 
  2.  Rising;  ascending.  --Ruskin. 
 
  3.  Superior;  surpassing;  ruling. 
 
  An  ascendant  spirit  over  him  --South. 
 
  The  ascendant  community  obtained  a  surplus  of 
  wealth.  --J.  S.  Mill. 
 
  Without  some  power  of  persuading  or  confuting,  of 
  defending  himself  against  accusations,  .  .  .  no  man 
  could  possibly  hold  an  ascendent  position.  --Grote. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Ascendant  \As*cend"ant\,  n.  [F.  ascendant,  L.  ascendens;  p.  pr 
  of  ascendere.] 
  1.  Ascent;  height;  elevation.  [R.] 
 
  Sciences  that  were  then  in  their  highest  ascendant. 
  --Temple. 
 
  2.  (Astrol.)  The  horoscope,  or  that  degree  of  the  ecliptic 
  which  rises  above  the  horizon  at  the  moment  of  one's 
  birth;  supposed  to  have  a  commanding  influence  on  a 
  person's  life  and  fortune. 
 
  Note:  Hence  the  phrases 
 
  {To  be  in  the  ascendant},  to  have  commanding  power  or 
  influence,  and 
 
  {Lord  of  the  ascendant},  one  who  has  possession  of  such  power 
  or  influence;  as  to  rule  for  a  while  lord  of  the 
  ascendant.  --Burke. 
 
  3.  Superiority,  or  commanding  influence;  ascendency;  as  one 
  man  has  the  ascendant  over  another. 
 
  Chievres  had  acquired  over  the  mind  of  the  young 
  monarch  the  ascendant  not  only  of  a  tutor,  but  of  a 
  parent.  --Robertson. 
 
  4.  An  ancestor,  or  one  who  precedes  in  genealogy  or  degrees 
  of  kindred;  a  relative  in  the  ascending  line  a 
  progenitor;  --  opposed  to  {descendant}.  --Ayliffe. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  ascendant 
  adj  1:  tending  or  directed  upward;  "rooted  and  ascendant  strength 
  like  that  of  foliage"-  John  Ruskin  [syn:  {ascendent}, 
  {ascensive}] 
  2:  most  powerful  or  important  or  influential;  "the  economically 
  ascendant  class";  "D-day  is  considered  the  dominating 
  event  of  the  war  in  Europe"  [syn:  {ascendent},  {dominating}] 
  n  1:  position  or  state  of  being  dominant  or  in  control:  "that 
  idea  was  in  the  ascendant"  [syn:  {ascendent}] 
  2:  someone  from  whom  you  are  descended  (but  usually  more  remote 
  that  a  grandparent)  [syn:  {ancestor},  {ascendent},  {antecedent}] 
  [ant:  {descendant}] 

browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
or search   thesauri dictionary search words