noun
ascension
uh-SEHN-shuhn
noun
1
The act of rising or moving upward, especially to a position of power or a higher spiritual state.
"Her ascension to head of the department surprised no one."
"The Ascension refers to the belief that Jesus rose bodily into heaven forty days after his resurrection."
How to Use Ascension
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA rise to a higher position, status, or (in Christian belief) a rise into heaven.
Common mistake
Not to be confused with "ascent," the everyday word for the act or process of climbing/rising; "ascension" is more formal and often religious.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
ascension to power
the Ascension
ascension to the throne
Word Forms
ascensions plural
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Her _____ to head of the department surprised no one.
Etymology
From Latin ascensio, "a climbing up," from ascendere ("to ascend").