Chapter Arundelian to Ascessancy of A by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

3. Superior; surpassing; ruling.

An ascendant spirit over him.
South.

The ascendant community obtained a surplus of wealth.
J. S. Mill.

Without some power of persuading or confuting, of defending himself against accusations, . . . no man could possibly hold an ascendent position.
Grote.

Ascendency
(As*cend"en*cy) n. Governing or controlling influence; domination; power.

An undisputed ascendency.
Macaulay.

Custom has an ascendency over the understanding.
Watts.

Syn. — Control; authority; influence; sway; dominion; prevalence; domination.

Ascendible
(As*cend"i*ble) a. [L. ascendibilis.] Capable of being ascended; climbable.

Ascending
(As*cend"ing), a. Rising; moving upward; as, an ascending kite. — As*cend"ing*ly, adv.

Ascending latitude (Astron.), the increasing latitude of a planet. Ferguson. — Ascending line (Geneol.), the line of relationship traced backward or through one's ancestors. One's father and mother, grandfather and grandmother, etc., are in the line direct ascending. — Ascending node having, that node of the moon or a planet wherein it passes the ecliptic to proceed northward. It is also called the northern node. Herschel. — Ascending series. (Math.) (a) A series arranged according to the ascending powers of a quantity. (b) A series in which each term is greater than the preceding. — Ascending signs, signs east of the meridian.

Ascension
(As*cen"sion), n. [F. ascension, L. ascensio, fr. ascendere. See Ascend.]

1. The act of ascending; a rising; ascent.

2. Specifically: The visible ascent of our Savior on the fortieth day after his resurrection. (Acts i. 9.) Also, Ascension Day.

3. An ascending or arising, as in distillation; also that which arises, as from distillation.

Vaporous ascensions from the stomach.
Sir T. Browne.

Ascension Day, the Thursday but one before Whitsuntide, the day on which commemorated our Savior's ascension into heaven after his resurrection; — called also Holy Thursday. — Right ascension (Astron.), that degree of the equinoctial, counted from the beginning of Aries, which rises with a star, or other celestial body, in a right sphere; or the arc of the equator intercepted between the first point of Aries and that point of the equator that comes to the meridian with the star; — expressed either in degrees or in time. — Oblique ascension (Astron.), an arc of the equator, intercepted between the first point of Aries and that point of the equator which rises together with a star, in an oblique sphere; or the arc of the equator intercepted between the first point of Aries and that point of the equator that comes to the horizon with a star. It is little used in modern astronomy.

Ascensional
(As*cen"sion*al) a. Relating to ascension; connected with ascent; ascensive; tending upward; as, the ascensional power of a balloon.

Ascensional difference (Astron.), the difference between oblique and right ascension; — used chiefly as expressing the difference between the time of the rising or setting of a body and six o'clock, or six hours from its meridian passage.