descending

English

Etymology

From descend + -ing.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɪˈsɛn.dɪŋ/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛndɪŋ

Verb

descending

1. present participle and gerund of descend

Adjective

descending (not comparable)

1. Moving or sloping downwards.
2. Ordered such that each element is less than or equal to the previous element. (of a sequence)

   Please arrange these numbers in a descending order.

   1. (computing) Causing a sequence to follow a descending order.

      We used a descending sort.

3. (music) Becoming lower in pitch.

Antonyms

• ascending

Derived terms

• descending chain condition
• descending colon
• descendingly
• descending node
• descending palatine artery
• descending perineum syndrome
• descending s
• descendostomy

Translations

moving or sloping downwards

Esperanto: descendanta Spanish: descendente (es)

ordered such that each element is less than or equal to the previous element

Arabic: تَنَازُلِيّ (tanāzuliyy) Bulgarian: намаляващ (bg) (namaljavašt) Finnish: laskeva (fi) Kurdish: Northern Kurdish: dakêşayî Romanian: descrescător (ro)

causing a sequence to follow an descending order

Arabic: تَنَازُلِيّ (tanāzuliyy) Finnish: laskeva (fi)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Catalan: descendent (ca)

Noun

descending (plural descendings)

1. A descent.

   continual ascendings and descendings

References

• “descending”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “descending”, in Merriam-Webster.com Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.