DECLENSION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does declension mean? 

• DECLENSION (noun)
  The noun DECLENSION has 4 senses:

1. the inflection of nouns and pronouns and adjectives in Indo-European languages

2. process of changing to an inferior state

3. a downward slope or bend

4. a class of nouns or pronouns or adjectives in Indo-European languages having the same (or very similar) inflectional forms

  Familiarity information: DECLENSION used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DECLENSION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The inflection of nouns and pronouns and adjectives in Indo-European languages

Classified under:

Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas

Hypernyms ("declension" is a kind of...):

inflection; inflexion (a change in the form of a word (usually by adding a suffix) to indicate a change in its grammatical function)

Meronyms (members of "declension"):

noun (the word class that can serve as the subject or object of a verb, the object of a preposition, or in apposition)

Derivation:

decline (inflect for number, gender, case, etc.)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Process of changing to an inferior state

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Synonyms:

declension; decline in quality; deterioration; worsening

Hypernyms ("declension" is a kind of...):

decline; diminution (change toward something smaller or lower)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "declension"):

drop-off; falling off; falloff; slack; slump (a noticeable deterioration in performance or quality)

Derivation:

decline (grow worse)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A downward slope or bend

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Synonyms:

declension; declination; decline; declivity; descent; downslope; fall

Hypernyms ("declension" is a kind of...):

incline; side; slope (an elevated geological formation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "declension"):

downhill (the downward slope of a hill)

steep (a steep place (as on a hill))

Derivation:

decline (go down)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A class of nouns or pronouns or adjectives in Indo-European languages having the same (or very similar) inflectional forms

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Context example:

the first declension in Latin

Hypernyms ("declension" is a kind of...):

category; class; family (a collection of things sharing a common attribute)

Derivation:

decline (inflect for number, gender, case, etc.)

 Context examples 

These bits of wood were covered, on every square, with paper pasted on them; and on these papers were written all the words of their language, in their several moods, tenses, and declensions; but without any order.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)