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ascendancy

/əˈsɛndənsi/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about ascendancy at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. The state that exists when one person or group has power over another.
    her apparent dominance of her husband was really her attempt to make him pay attention to her

Origin

From ascend + -ancy or ascendant + -cy. The use in ecology is due to Robert Ulanowicz.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)