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an act of ; upward movement; a rising movement:
the ascent of a balloon.
movement upward from a lower to a higher state, degree, grade, or status; advancement:
his ascent to the governorship came after a long political career.
the act of climbing or traveling up:
three climbers attempted the ascent of mount rainier.
the way or means of ; upward slope; acclivity.
a movement or return toward a source or beginning.
the degree of inclination; gradient:
a steep ascent.
contemporary examples

the ascent of the latest dictator-in-waiting spells the death of reform for the saudi kingdom.
prince naif’s war on saudi liberals and how obama is abetting the crackdown david keyes november 10, 2011

you have to take a long-term look at the ascent of something that fundamentally changes the power structure of america.
really, dr. carson? obamacare is worse than 9/11? evan gahr june 4, 2014

the 36,070 foot descent to challenger deep will take less than two hours and the ascent one hour.
james cameron hopes to be the first solo visitor to the deepest part of the ocean jacqui g-ddard march 19, 2012

i hope that my spirits and emotions will join them in this ascent.
after war: anger, panic, and sometimes peace benjamin tupper june 25, 2013

the ascent of naif spells the death of reform and human rights in saudi arabia.
prince naif’s war on saudi liberals and how obama is abetting the crackdown david keyes november 10, 2011

historical examples

its summit elevation is nearly 15,000 feet, and in 1881 langley made its ascent for the purpose of measuring the solar constant.
astronomy david todd

for hours it seemed that every ascent, every descent, must mark the end.
the cruise of the dry dock t. s. stribling

never eat much at a sitting during the ascent, but eat often and little at a time.
your national parks enos a. mills

they were near the crown of the ascent, and he could carry her as far as that!
salted with fire george macdonald

theodore had got to the ladder that made the last part of the ascent, and there daffy had collared him.
marriage h. g. wells

noun
the act of ascending; climb or upward movement: the ascent of hot gases
an upward slope; incline or gradient
movement back through time, as in tracing of earlier generations (esp in the phrase line of ascent)
n.

c.1610, “action of ascending,” from ascend on model of descend/descent; “climbing” sense is from 1753.