I confess, I ran across this pair in a grammar book, and the rhythm of the words caught my eye, er, should I say my ear?
When I looked them up, I simply had to pass on this complex sounding pair of words with the simplicity of their opposing meanings.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
If you found this post on “Acclivity versus Declivity” interesting, consider subscribing to KD Did It, if you’d like to track this post for future updates.
| Acclivity | Declivity |
|---|---|
 — |
 — |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun
Plural: acclivities |
Noun
Plural: declivities |
| An upward slope, as of a hill
An ascent |
[Formal] A downward slope, as of a hill
A downward distance or bend |
| Examples: | |
| “The acclivity of these hills is such, that every tree appears full to the eye” (Young).
“There, upon an acclivity, a tin plate was found on the ground” (McClymont). “They have been so, but now, climbing the acclivity, they have quieted their horses to a walk” (Reid). The steep acclivity was especially daunting for the novice hikers. “It prompted the matron to say that she would walk a little way — as far as to the point where the acclivity from the valley began its first steep ascent to the outer world” (Hardy). |
That thickly wooded declivity would impair our progress.
“The declivity of the road was gradually becoming more gentle” (Zola). “Behind them, down the declivity toward the village, the people were gathering” (Cummings). The declivity on which these woods are finishes in a mountain, which rises above the whole” (Young). “After they had half mounted the declivity, one was sent back” (Sheehan). “The declivity was not great and the torrent was otherwise placid” (Dellenbaugh). Our columns ought to have begun to appear on an open declivity to his right. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: acclivitous, acclivous, unacclivitous Adverb: unacclivitously |
Adjective: declivitous Adverb: declivitously |
| History of the Word: | |
| Early 17th century from the Latin acclivitas, which is from acclivis, from ad- (towards) + clivus (a slope). | Early 17th century from the Latin declivitas, which is from declivis meaning sloping down, from de- (down) + clivus (a slope). |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Acclivity versus Declivity
Some of these links may be affiliate links, and I will earn a small percentage, if you should buy it. It does not affect the price you pay.
Apple Dictionary.com
Cummings, Raymond King. The World Beyond. Createspace Independent Publishing, 2017. <https://amzn.to/3SaqKMf>.
Dellenbaugh, Frederick S. A Canyon Voyage. 2011. It was originally published in 1908. <https://amzn.to/3Df3ed3>.
Dictionary.com: acclivity
Hardy, Thomas. Tess of the d’Urbervilles. 2012. EBook. It was originally published in 1891. <https://amzn.to/3TyF4iZ>.
McClymont, James R. Essays on Early Ornithology and Kindred Subjects. 2012.Originally published in 1920. <https://amzn.to/3D33HyC>.
Merriam-Webster: acclivity
Reid, Thomas Mayne. The Death Shot. 2022. Originally published in 1874. <https://amzn.to/3s4xDUK>.
Sheehan, P.A. My New Curate. 2011. First published in 1899. <https://amzn.to/3eKP9dD>.
Young, Arthur. Henry Morley (ed.) A Tour in Ireland 1776-1779. 2011. Originally published in 1780. <https://amzn.to/3SapTev>.
Zola, Emile. The Fortune of the Rougons. 2012. Originally published in 1871. <https://amzn.to/3Sp1Okx>.
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Ski Lesson, <https://visualhunt.com/f2/photo/5318155035/16dd5de3d8/>, by rob.wal, <https://visualhunt.com/author/6b1a67>, is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via VisualHunt.
Revised as of 1 Apr 2024
By: Kathy Davie