acclivity

/əˈklɪvədi/

Other forms: acclivities

An acclivity might be something to dread if you ride a bike a lot. An acclivity is an uphill slope, so you’ll have to pedal a little harder to get to the top.

The word acclivity traces back to the Latin word acclivis, meaning “ascending,” which is a combination of ad-, meaning “toward,” and clivus, meaning “slope.” If you encounter an acclivity, it’s going to be all uphill until you get to the top. The opposite of an acclivity is a declivity, which has a similar Latin origin. In the case of declivity, it’s the de- prefix, meaning “down,” that moves things in the opposite direction and gives it the meaning of “downhill slope.”

Definitions of acclivity

1. noun

   an upward slope or grade (as in a road)
   synonyms: ascent, climb, raise, rise, upgrade

   types:

   uphill

   the upward slope of a hill

   type of:

   incline, side, slope

   an elevated geological formation