Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.
decline en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- dĭ-klīnʹ
- /dɪˈklaɪn/
- (US) audio
Etymology
From Middle English declinen, and ultimately Latin declīnō (“to bend, turn aside, deflect, inflect, decline”, from dē- (“down”) + clīnō (“to bend, to incline”)), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱley- (English lean). The senses arrived from two separate pathways in Middle English:
* The grammatical sense came from Old English declīnian, which was borrowed directly from the Latin etymon.
* All senses except the grammatical sense were derived from those of Old French decliner. Old French itself borrowed the verb from Latin.
Meanings
-
(countable, of an event or occurrence, qualifier:dynamically, uncountable) Downward movement, fall.
The aircraft went into a sudden decline before the pilot regained control.
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(countable, of a physical state, uncountable) A sloping downward, e.g. of a hill or road.
After taking a right from that turn a decline will come into view.
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(countable, uncountable) A deterioration of condition; a weakening or worsening.
In an era when political leaders promise deliverance from decline through America’s purported preeminence in scientific research, the news that science is in deep trouble in the United States has been as unwelcome as a diagnosis of leukemia following the loss of health insurance.
2012 January 14, Philip E. Mirowski, “Harms to Health from the Pursuit of Profits”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 1, archived from the original on 04 Apr 2012, page 87:The country's global reputation is in decline.
He has experienced a sudden decline in his health.
Educational standards are on the decline.
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(countable, uncountable) A reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity.
Town-centre retailers have seen a decline in footfall.
"It knows it has to plan for managed decline, but it can't even plan for managed decline if it doesn't know how much decline to manage."
2022 March 23, Paul Clifton, “Londoners pay the price”, in RAIL, number 953, page 48:Population decline is a major concern.
It is also pertinent to note that the current obvious decline in work on holarctic hepatics most surely reflects a current obsession with cataloging and with nomenclature of the organisms—as divorced from their study as living entities.
1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page ix:
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(countable, uncountable) The act of declining or refusing something.
The issuing bank only checks the consumer's credit card number for authorization. […] Soft declines are those declines in which the bank requires further verification.
2004, David A. Montague, Fraud Prevention Techniques for Credit Card Fraud:
Forms
Antonyms
incline
Deriveds
declinarian · decline porn · declinist · declinism · olive quick decline syndrome · declinal · acute oak decline · declinometer · oak decline
Synonyms
descent · descent
Translations (90)
fi pudotus (downward movement, fall) · hi अधोगति (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · mi paheketanga (downward movement, fall) · cs pokles (downward movement, fall) · az enmə (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · uk зане́пад (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · id kemerosotan (downward movement, fall) · sv utförsbacke (sloping downward) · fi heikentyminen (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · de Schwächung (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · sv tillbakagång (reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity) · nl afname (sloping downward) · de Rückgang (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · fi alasajo (reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity) · nl afname (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · bg упадък (downward movement, fall) · he ירידה (sloping downward) · hi पतन (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · ru склон (sloping downward) · nl terugval (downward movement, fall) · es declinación (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · az geriləmə (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · fi hylkääminen (act of declining or refusing something) · gl devalo (downward movement, fall) · ota خراب (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · de Gefälle (sloping downward) · pt declive (sloping downward) · fi kieltäytyminen (act of declining or refusing something) · cmn 衰退 (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · ru спуск (sloping downward) · de Fall (downward movement, fall) · pt declínio (downward movement, fall) · pt declínio (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · sv nedförsbacke (sloping downward) · mi paheketanga (sloping downward) · ga meathlú (downward movement, fall) · fi lasku (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · ru падение (downward movement, fall) · de Sinken (downward movement, fall) · bg западане (downward movement, fall) · nb tilbakegang (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · fi taantuminen (reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity) · fr déclin (downward movement, fall) · bg влошаване (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · ga meath (downward movement, fall) · fr déclin (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · fi lasku (sloping downward) · nb svekkelse (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · nl verval (reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity) · nl afname (downward movement, fall) · nl achteruitgang (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · fi lasku (downward movement, fall) · sv nedgång (reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity) · enm declin (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · nb nedgang (reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity) · hi गिरना (sloping downward) · hu hanyatlás (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · uk зни́ження (reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity) · it declino (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · az tənəzzül (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · fi lasku (reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity) · es declive (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · fi alamäki (sloping downward) · he היחלשות (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · es decadencia (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · bg склон (sloping downward) · nl verzwakking (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · id kemunduran (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · ca declivi (downward movement, fall) · nl helling (sloping downward) · ang æfdȳne (sloping downward) · da forfald (downward movement, fall) · uk спад (reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity) · ru спад (reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity) · id kejatuhan (downward movement, fall) · de Abnahme (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · gl devalo (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · hi गिरावट (downward movement, fall) · nl achteruitgang (downward movement, fall) · ca caiguda (downward movement, fall) · es retroceso (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · sv medlut (sloping downward) · de Entspannung (reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity) · fi pudotus (reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity) · he נפילה (downward movement, fall) · ru сниже́ние (reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity) · fi alamäki (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · nl verval (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening) · de Nachlassen (reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity) · ru упа́док (deterioration of condition; weakening or worsening)
decline en · VERB
Pronunciation
- dĭ-klīnʹ
- /dɪˈklaɪn/
- (US) audio
Etymology
From Middle English declinen, and ultimately Latin declīnō (“to bend, turn aside, deflect, inflect, decline”, from dē- (“down”) + clīnō (“to bend, to incline”)), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱley- (English lean). The senses arrived from two separate pathways in Middle English:
* The grammatical sense came from Old English declīnian, which was borrowed directly from the Latin etymon.
* All senses except the grammatical sense were derived from those of Old French decliner. Old French itself borrowed the verb from Latin.
Meanings
-
(intransitive) To move downwards, to fall, to drop.
Only empirical observation, and not deduction from the nature of the profit rate, can tell us whether it does tend permanently to decline; and such observation is not found to confirm Marx's theory.
1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume I: The Founders, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: powstanie (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 298:The dollar has declined rapidly since 2001.
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(intransitive) To become weaker or worse.
After her sother died, Connie began to decline noticeably.
1982 February 13, Nancy Walker, “Connie”, in Gay Community News, volume 9, number 29, page 10:My health declined in winter.
Will this decision-making paralysis continue until Great British Railways has been established and settled into a new rhythm? If so, passengers on the West of England line are in for a rough ride, as the reliability of these tired old British Rail trains inevitably declines, and maintenance costs rise.
2026 February 18, Paul Clifton, “West of England Line problems laid bare”, in RAIL, page 7:
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(transitive) To bend downward; to bring down; to depress; to cause to bend, or fall.
And now faire Phoebus gan decline in hast / His weary wagon to the Westerne vale.
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 10:in melancholy site, with head declined
a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Spring”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC:
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(transitive) To cause to decrease or diminish.
You have declin'd his means.
1612–1613, Nathan Field, John Fletcher, Philip Massinger, “The Honest Mans Fortune”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act II, scene ii:He knoweth his error, but will not seek to decline it.
1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:
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To turn or bend aside; to deviate; to stray; to withdraw.
a line that declines from straightness
conduct that declines from sound morals
Yet do I not decline from thy testimonies.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 99:157:
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(transitive) To choose not to do something; refuse, forbear, refrain.
“[…] This is Mr. Churchill, who, as you are aware, is good enough to come to us for his diaconate, and, as we hope, for much longer; and being a gentleman of independent means, he declines to take any payment.” Saying this Walden rubbed his hands together and smiled contentedly.
1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:Could I decline this dreadful hour?
1626, Philip Massinger, The Roman Actor:On reflection I think I will decline your generous offer.
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(of substantives, qualifier:adjectives and pronouns, transitive, usually) To inflect for case, number, gender, and the like.
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(transitive) To recite all the different declined forms of (a word): to recite its declension.
after the first declining of a noun and a verb
1570, Roger Ascham, The Scholemaster, 1st edition:
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(broadly) To run through from first to last; to recite in order as though declining a noun.
Decline all this, and see what now thou art. For happy wife, a most distressed widow;
For joyful mother, one that wails the name;
For one being sued to, one that humbly sues;
For queen , a very caitiff crown'd with care[…]
c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]:
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(Canadian) To reject a penalty against the opposing team, usually because the result of accepting it would benefit the non-penalized team less than the preceding play.
The team chose to decline the fifteen-yard penalty because their receiver had caught the ball for a thirty-yard gain.
Forms
Deriveds
decliningly · declension · declinable · declinability · undeclined · declination · redecline · Texas phoenix palm decline · undeclining
Relateds
recline · climate · incline · declivity · cline
Synonyms
declense · declense
Translations (143)
bg отказвам (refuse) · sv försämra (become weaker or worse) · fi taivuttaa (inflect) · ru ослабевать (become weaker or worse) · cs skloňovat (inflect) · mi tāmatemate (become weaker or worse) · bg влошавам се (become weaker or worse) · de sinken (move downwards) · enm declinen (inflect) · es periclitar (become weaker or worse) · lt linksniuoti (inflect) · ro declina (inflect) · io refuzar (refuse) · de fallen (move downwards) · pt declinar (move downwards) · fo benda (orð) (inflect) · ga meath (become weaker or worse) · he ירד (move downwards) · fr décliner (inflect) · ga meathlaigh (become weaker or worse) · ca debilitar-se (become weaker or worse) · fi kieltäytyä (refuse) · ru склоня́ть (inflect) · fr décliner (become weaker or worse) · de deklinieren (inflect) · bg скланям (inflect) · bg наклонявам се надолу (move downwards) · fr décliner (run through from first to last) · mi paheke (become weaker or worse) · mi tauheke (move downwards) · ca declinar (refuse) · cmn 屏絕 /屏绝 (refuse) · it declinare (move downwards) · nrf dêclyinner (inflect) · gd rach bhuaithe (become weaker or worse) · it rifiutare (refuse) · pt declinar (refuse) · fr refuser (American football or Canadian football: reject a penalty against an opposing team) · es declinar (inflect) · mi tupuheke (become weaker or worse) · fr refuser (refuse) · nl afnemen (move downwards) · ru спада́ть (move downwards) · nn forfalla (become weaker or worse) · sl sklanjati (inflect) · nn versna (become weaker or worse) · ht refize (refuse) · cs klesat (move downwards) · sv avstå (refuse) · nl verbuigen (inflect) · mi tāharahara (move downwards) · fi laskea (move downwards) · de abnehmen (become weaker or worse) · fi pudota (move downwards) · fi heikentyä (become weaker or worse) · de zurückgehen (become weaker or worse) · az hallandırmaq (inflect) · es descaecer (become weaker or worse) · id menolak (refuse) · id menurun (become weaker or worse) · sv sänka (bend downward) · no avslå (refuse) · nl afzwakken (become weaker or worse) · sv sjunka (move downwards) · be скланя́ць (inflect) · gd claon (inflect) · hi गिरना (move downwards) · uk відмі́нювати (inflect) · cs odmítnout (refuse) · pt recusar (refuse) · sk skloňovať (inflect) · ro scădea (move downwards) · sa भ्रंशते (become weaker or worse) · es declinar (become weaker or worse) · az tənəzzül etmək (become weaker or worse) · pt declinar (inflect) · uk відхили́ти (refuse) · he היטה (inflect) · hi पतन (become weaker or worse) · sh òdbiti (refuse) · mi māwhe (become weaker or worse) · mi roroku (become weaker or worse) · hu gyengül (become weaker or worse) · mi whakanau (refuse) · enm declinen (move downwards) · es rechazar (refuse) · fr décliner (refuse) · mi whakahoe (refuse) · sh о̀дбити (refuse) · it declinare (refuse) · he דחה (refuse) · pt declinar (become weaker or worse) · ka ბრუნება (inflect) · da afvise (refuse) · enm declinen (become weaker or worse) · nl verzwakken (become weaker or worse) · sv avvisa (refuse) · he סירב (refuse) · cmn 變格 /变格 (inflect) · hu ragoz (inflect) · cmn 回絕 /回绝 (refuse) · be праскланя́ць (inflect) · nl weigeren (refuse) · cs klesat (become weaker or worse) · sv deklinera (inflect) · hu hanyatlik (become weaker or worse) · az zəifləmək (become weaker or worse) · enm declinen (bend downward) · cmn 惡化 /恶化 (become weaker or worse) · nl terugvallen (move downwards) · ca declinar-se (move downwards) · de abschlagen (refuse) · nl afwijzen (refuse) · nl achteruitgaan (become weaker or worse) · nl afnemen (become weaker or worse) · fi heiketä (become weaker or worse) · sl deklinirati (inflect) · got 𐌷𐌽𐌴𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌽 (move downwards) · bg западам (become weaker or worse) · ca refusar (refuse) · ru отказать (refuse) · az geriləmək (become weaker or worse) · it declinare (inflect) · nn forvitra (become weaker or worse) · id merosot (move downwards) · es declinar (refuse) · no avvise (refuse) · bg спадам (move downwards) · mi tāromaroma (become weaker or worse) · hu elutasít (refuse) · he נחלש (become weaker or worse) · ang drēosan (move downwards) · pl odmieniać (przez przypadki) (inflect) · ar رَفَضَ (refuse) · pl deklinować (inflect) · la abnegō (refuse) · nl vervallen (move downwards) · de ablehnen (refuse) · uk відхиля́ти (refuse) · fr péricliter (become weaker or worse) · nl achteruitgaan (move downwards) · cmn 拒绝 (refuse) · mi whakapeka (refuse)