From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Ascendant \As*cend"ant\, Ascendent \As*cend"ent\, a.
1. Rising toward the zenith; above the horizon.
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The constellation . . . about that time ascendant.
--Browne.
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2. Rising; ascending. --Ruskin.
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3. Superior; surpassing; ruling.
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An ascendant spirit over him. --South.
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The ascendant community obtained a surplus of
wealth. --J. S. Mill.
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Without some power of persuading or confuting, of
defending himself against accusations, . . . no man
could possibly hold an ascendent position. --Grote.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Ascendant \As*cend"ant\, n. [F. ascendant, L. ascendens; p. pr.
of ascendere.]
1. Ascent; height; elevation. [R.]
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Sciences that were then in their highest ascendant.
--Temple.
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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.
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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.
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3. Superiority, or commanding influence; ascendency; as, one
man has the ascendant over another.
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Chievres had acquired over the mind of the young
monarch the ascendant not only of a tutor, but of a
parent. --Robertson.
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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.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
ascendant
adj 1: tending or directed upward; "rooted and ascendant
strength like that of foliage"- John Ruskin [syn:
{ascendant}, {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: {ascendant}, {ascendent},
{dominating}]
n 1: position or state of being dominant or in control; "that
idea was in the ascendant" [syn: {ascendant}, {ascendent}]
2: someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote
than a grandparent) [syn: {ancestor}, {ascendant},
{ascendent}, {antecedent}, {root}] [ant: {descendant},
{descendent}]
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