ascendancy
noun
as·cen·dan·cy
ə-ˈsen-dən(t)-sē 
variants
or less commonly ascendency
: governing or controlling influence : domination
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In the course of a year, the sun appears to pass through the twelve constellations of the zodiac in sequence, and all the planets also lie close to the solar path. The constellation and planet that are just rising, or ascendant, above the eastern horizon in the sun's path at the moment of a child's birth are said by astrologers to exercise a lifelong controlling influence over the child. This is the idea that lies at the heart of ascendancy, though the word today no longer hints at supernatural powers.
Examples of ascendancy in a Sentence
the ascendancy of the government
a book chronicling the ascendancy of fascism in Europe after World War I
Recent Examples on the Web
Most fundamentally, Trump concluded that the ascendancy of the liberal order was over and the world of cutthroat power politics was back.
—
Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
How did the party do all of this during a period of right-wing ascendancy?
—David Leonhardt, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Wielding the language of liberal internationalism to justify ruinous intervention abroad has long been the modus operandi of the neoconservatives, who, since the ascendancy of Trump over the Republican Party, have gravitated back to their original home among the Democrats.
—Anatol Lieven, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
Unfortunately, his ascendancy has been driven in large part by the fact that a large number of workers in America have more faith in Trump than in the Democratic Party.
—John Samuelsen, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ascendancy
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Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
How did the party do all of this during a period of right-wing ascendancy?
—David Leonhardt, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Wielding the language of liberal internationalism to justify ruinous intervention abroad has long been the modus operandi of the neoconservatives, who, since the ascendancy of Trump over the Republican Party, have gravitated back to their original home among the Democrats.
—Anatol Lieven, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
Unfortunately, his ascendancy has been driven in large part by the fact that a large number of workers in America have more faith in Trump than in the Democratic Party.
—John Samuelsen, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ascendancy
Cite this Entry
“Ascendancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ascendancy. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ascendancy
noun
as·cen·dan·cy
ə-ˈsen-dən-sē
: controlling influence
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