Definition of: ascent

(ə·sent′) noun
1. The act of ascending or going up; a rising or soaring.
2. The act of climbing or traveling up, as a mountain.
3. The method or way of ascending; that by which one ascends, as the upward slope of a hill.
4. The amount or degree of upward slope: an ascent of 30°.
5. A rise in state, rank, or station; advancement, as in esteem or succession.
6. Rare A going back in time or genealogy. ◆ Homophone: assent. [<ASCEND, on analogy with descent]