[uh-sent] 
| 1. | an act of ascending; upward movement; a rising movement: the ascent of a balloon. |
| 2. | 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. |
| 3. | the act of climbing or traveling up: Three climbers attempted the ascent of Mount Rainier. |
| 4. | the way or means of ascending; upward slope; acclivity. |
| 5. | a movement or return toward a source or beginning. |
| 6. | the degree of inclination; gradient: a steep ascent. |
| as·cent (ə-sěnt') n.
[From ascend, on the model of descent.] |
