decline meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

decline

noun

/dɪˈklaɪn/

Etymology From Middle English declinen, and ultimately Latin declīnō (“to bend, turn aside, deflect, inflect, decline”, from dē- (“down”) + clīnō (“to bend, to incline”)), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱley- (English lean). The senses arrived from two separate pathways in Middle English: * The grammatical sense came from Old English declīnian, which was borrowed directly from the Latin etymon. * All senses except the grammatical sense were derived from those of Old French decliner. Old French itself borrowed the verb from Latin.

Downward movement, fall.

The aircraft went into a sudden decline before the pilot regained control.

A sloping downward, e.g. of a hill or road.

After taking a right from that turn a decline will come into view.

A deterioration of condition; a weakening or worsening.

He has experienced a sudden decline in his health.
Educational standards are on the decline.

2 more examples

The country's global reputation is in decline.
In an era when political leaders promise deliverance from decline through America’s purported preeminence in scientific research, the news that science is in deep trouble in the United States has been as unwelcome as a diagnosis of leukemia following the loss of health insurance.2012 January 23, Philip E. Mirowski, “Harms to Health from the Pursuit of Profits”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 1, archived from the original on 04 Apr 2012, page 87:

A reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity.

Population decline is a major concern.
Town-centre retailers have seen a decline in footfall.

2 more examples

It is also pertinent to note that the current obvious decline in work on holarctic hepatics most surely reflects a current obsession with cataloging and with nomenclature of the organisms—as divorced from their study as living entities.1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page ix:
"It knows it has to plan for managed decline, but it can't even plan for managed decline if it doesn't know how much decline to manage."2022 March 23, Paul Clifton, “Londoners pay the price”, in RAIL, number 953, page 48:

The act of declining or refusing something.

The issuing bank only checks the consumer's credit card number for authorization. […] Soft declines are those declines in which the bank requires further verification.2004, David A. Montague, Fraud Prevention Techniques for Credit Card Fraud:

Antonyms: incline
Derived terms: acute oak decline, declinal, declinarian, decline porn, declinism, declinist, declinometer, oak decline, olive quick decline syndrome

decline

verb

10 senses

1To move downwards, to fall, to drop.
2To become weaker or worse.
3To bend downward; to bring down; to depress; to cause to…
4To cause to decrease or diminish.
5To turn or bend aside; to deviate; to stray; to withdraw.
6To choose not to do something; refuse, forbear, refrain.
7To inflect for case, number, gender, and the like.
8To recite all the different declined forms of (a word)…
9To run through from first to last; to recite in order as…
10To reject a penalty against the opposing team, usually…

To move downwards, to fall, to drop.

The dollar has declined rapidly since 2001.

To become weaker or worse.

My health declined in winter.
After her sother died, Connie began to decline noticeably.1982 February 13, Nancy Walker, “Connie”, in Gay Community News, volume 9, number 29, page 10:

1 more example

Will this decision-making paralysis continue until Great British Railways has been established and settled into a new rhythm? If so, passengers on the West of England line are in for a rough ride, as the reliability of these tired old British Rail trains inevitably declines, and maintenance costs rise.2026 February 18, Paul Clifton, “West of England Line problems laid bare”, in RAIL, page 7:

To bend downward; to bring down; to depress; to cause to bend, or fall.

in melancholy site, with head declineda. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Spring”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC:
And now faire Phoebus gan decline in hast / His weary wagon to the Westerne vale.1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 10:

To cause to decrease or diminish.

You have declin'd his means.1612–1613, Nathan Field, John Fletcher, Philip Massinger, “The Honest Mans Fortune”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act II, scene ii:
He knoweth his error, but will not seek to decline it.1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:

To turn or bend aside; to deviate; to stray; to withdraw.

a line that declines from straightness
conduct that declines from sound morals

1 more example

Yet do I not decline from thy testimonies.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 99:157:

To choose not to do something; refuse, forbear, refrain.

Could I decline this dreadful hour?1626, Philip Massinger, The Roman Actor:
“[…] This is Mr. Churchill, who, as you are aware, is good enough to come to us for his diaconate, and, as we hope, for much longer; and being a gentleman of independent means, he declines to take any payment.” Saying this Walden rubbed his hands together and smiled contentedly.1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

1 more example

On reflection I think I will decline your generous offer.

Grammar, Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences Usually, Of substantives To inflect for case, number, gender, and the like.

Adjectives and pronouns

Grammar, Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences To recite all the different declined forms of (a word): to recite its declension.

after the first declining of a noun and a verb1570, Roger Ascham, The Scholemaster, 1st edition:

Broadly To run through from first to last; to recite in order as though declining a noun.

Decline all this, and see what now thou art. For happy wife, a most distressed widow; For joyful mother, one that wails the name; For one being sued to, one that humbly sues; For queen , a very caitiff crown'd with care[…]c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]:

American football, Ball games, Football, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports Canadian To reject a penalty against the opposing team, usually because the result of accepting it would benefit the non-penalized team less than the preceding play.

The team chose to decline the fifteen-yard penalty because their receiver had caught the ball for a thirty-yard gain.

Derived terms: declension, declinability, declinable, declination, decliningly, redecline, Texas phoenix palm decline, undeclined, undeclining
Related terms: climate, cline, declivity, incline, recline

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