ascension

Everyday

1. (church, Bible) The Ascension is the event when, Christians believe, Jesus rose up into heaven forty days after he rose from the dead. tree →
2. (formal) An ascension is the act of rising or going up. tree →
3. (formal) Coming to a high position, such as a king coming to the throne (more often «accession»). tree →

In the lessons

In religious education, Ascension Day is a Christian feast day; the story is told in the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Ascension Island is a small island in the Atlantic. In formal writing «ascension» means going up, like a balloon's ascension. Phrases: «Ascension Day», «the Ascension of Jesus», «the ascension of a balloon».

Examples

• Christians remember the Ascension of Jesus on Ascension Day. tree →
• The Bible says Jesus was taken up into a cloud at his Ascension. tree →
• Our church window shows the Ascension. tree →
• We watched the slow ascension of the hot-air balloon. tree →
• Ascension Island is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. tree →
• The climbers' ascension of the mountain took three days. tree →
• The vicar explained the Ascension to the children. tree →

Note

Capital A for the Christian feast. In everyday words, «ascent» is more common for climbing or rising. Related: ascend (verb), ascent. «Accession» is the usual word for a king or queen coming to the throne.