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Word of the Day : July 16, 2018
declivity \dih-KLIV-uh-tee\ noun
Definition
1 : downward inclination
2 : a descending slope
Did You Know?
Three different English words descend from clivus, the Latin word for "slope" or "hill"—with the help of three Latin prefixes. Declivity combines clivus with the prefix de-, meaning "down" or "away." Acclivity uses ad- (which changes its second letter depending on the root word), meaning "to" or "toward." Hence, an acclivity is an upward slope. The third word has a figurative meaning in English: proclivity makes use of the prefix pro-, meaning "forward," and this word refers to a personal inclination, predisposition, or "leaning."
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Aired July 16, 2018
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