Meanings
plural acclivities
- geographyA slope or inclination of the earth, as the side of a hill, considered as ascending, in opposition to declivity, or descending; an upward slope; ascent.
how gaily vineyards and olives alternately chequer the acclivities
1797, Ann Radcliffe, The Italian2 more examples
she would walk […] as far as to the point where the acclivity from the valley began its first steep ascent to the outer world.
1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'UrbervillesJust below it leaned a tottering crag that would have toppled, starting an avalanche on an acclivity where no sliding mass could stop.
1912 January, Zane Grey, chapter 8, in Riders of the Purple Sage […], New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
nounan upward slope or grade (as in a road)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinacclīvitās
- Englishacclivity
First attested in 1614. From Latin acclīvitās, from acclīvis (“ascending”), from ad + clīvus (“slope”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish ylämäki, nousu
- ylämäkislope or inclination considered as "ascending"
- noususlope or inclination considered as "ascending"
Portuguese aclividade
- aclividadeslope or inclination considered as "ascending"
Swedish sluttning, stigning
- sluttningslope or inclination considered as "ascending"
- stigningslope or inclination considered as "ascending"
Cite this entry
acclivity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acclivity
“acclivity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acclivity. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “acclivity,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acclivity.
Source: acclivity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.