declension — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A falling off, decay or descent.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   More examples (2)

   Refinement of feeling, intellectual tastes, and a noble hospitality, were among the features of his character; and hoary years brought no mental declension, and drew no shade over the ardent affections by which he was distinguished, and in whose reciprocity, was his undeclining solace.

   The custom of rolling a burning wheel down a hill […] might well pass for an imitation of the sun's course in the sky, and the imitation would be especially appropriate on Midsummer Day when the sun's annual declension begins.

2. The act of declining a word; the act of listing the inflections of a noun, pronoun or adjective in order.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

3. The product of that act; a list of declined forms.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   a page full of declensions

4. A way of categorizing nouns, pronouns, or adjectives according to the inflections they receive.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   In Latin, 'amicus' belongs to the second declension. Most second-declension nouns end in '-i' in the genitive singular and '-um' in the accusative singular.

Noun

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

   Broader terms

   inflectioninflexion

2. process of changing to an inferior state

   Synonyms

   deteriorationdecline in qualityworsening

   Broader terms

   declinediminution

3. a downward slope or bend

   Synonyms

   descentdeclivityfalldeclinedeclinationdownslope

   Broader terms

   slopeinclineside

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

   Broader terms

   classcategoryfamily

   Examples

   the first declension in Latin