Vocabulary in context
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Ascendancy
The state of having power or influence; the rise to a higher position or status.
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Imagine This
Most people who move upward in their careers or jobs are typically aggressive and enjoy having power over their coworkers.
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Sounds Like
uh-SEN-duhn-see
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Looks Like
ascend + -ancy; resembles 'ascend' and 'ancy'
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Remember This
Ascendancy often collocates with in or over (in ascendancy; ascendancy over). The term derives from a root meaning to climb and rise.
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Other Forms
ascendantadjective
ascensionnoun
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Connect With
dominance, power, leadership, influence, supremacy, preeminence
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Note
Ascendancy is the state of being in power or influence. Do not confuse with ascend (the verb) or ascension (the act of rising).
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The ascendancy of the tech giant reshaped the industry.
- After years of hard work, she rose to ascendancy within the department.
Synonyms
dominancesupremacypreeminencepredominancepower
Antonyms
subordinationweaknessdecline
Etymology
From Old French ascendance, from Latin ascendere 'to climb', via ascend- 'climb' + -ance.
Mnemonic
Ascend-ancy: The state of rising to power; remember that ascent means to rise and the suffix -ancy marks a state or condition.
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Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Abasement
nounThe act or instance of humiliating or degrading someone; the state of being lowered in dignity or status.
Absurdity
nounThe quality or state of being wildly unreasonable, illogical, or ridiculous; something that is completely contrary to reason or common sense.
Accent
nounA distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).
Accolade
nounAn honor; a public expression of praise or an award.
Acrimony
nounBitterness of speech or manner; ill feeling
Acronym
nounA word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word and used as a shorthand for the full name (for example, NASA or radar).
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