Declivity
/dɪˈklɪvɪti/
nounC1
Definition
Declivity is the name for a land surface that slopes downwards. It is the opposite of an upward slope (called an "inclivity"). People often use it to describe hills, roads, or paths that go down.
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See It in Action
A downward slope or hill on the land
- •The hikers carefully walked down the steep declivity.
- •The road had a sudden declivity that made driving tricky.
- •We stopped at the top of the declivity to enjoy the view below.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "declivity" like "hill" or "slope" (A2 words), but it means specifically the part that goes down, not up.
- ✓Picture walking down a gentle hill where the ground goes lower as you move forward.
- ✓It feels like when you ride a bike downhill and feel the wind because you are going down fast.
- ✓Sounds like "de-cliv-i-ty" → imagine "decline" (go down) + "cliff" (a steep slope), so a slope going down.
- ✓Imagine a mountain trail that goes down into a valley — that downward part is a declivity.
- ✓NOT like "inclivity" (a slope going up), declivity is always downward.
- ✓NOT like "flat" (no slope), declivity means the land is tilted down.
- ✓NOT like "valley" (a low area between hills), declivity is the sloping part leading down, not the low point itself.
Try Other Words
- •Slope: an inclined surface, up or down (Use when you want a general word without specifying direction)
- •Descent: the act of going down (Use when focusing on movement downward rather than the land itself)
- •Decline: a gradual downward slope or decrease (Use more for abstract or general decrease, less for land)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "de-" (down) + "cliv" (from Latin "clivus" meaning slope) + "-ity" (a noun suffix meaning quality or state)
- •Etymology: From Latin "declivitas," meaning a downward slope or inclination
- •Historical development: Used in English since the 1600s to describe land sloping downwards
- •Modern usage: Mostly used in geography, hiking, or formal descriptions of land shapes; less common in everyday speech
Reflect & Connect
•How does knowing the word "declivity" help you describe landscapes more precisely?
•Can you think of places you have seen or visited that have a clear declivity? How did it feel to go down that slope?
Fill in the blanks
1.The cyclist slowed down because the declivity was too ___ and dangerous.
2.Walking up the hill was hard, but walking down the declivity was ___.
3.Unlike an inclivity, a declivity always goes ___.
4.The trail followed the declivity, leading hikers ___ the mountain.
5.Drivers must be careful on a road with a sudden declivity because it can affect ___.
6.The declivity made the path slippery when it rained, causing people to ___.
7.From the top of the declivity, we could see the valley ___ below.