Ascendent

Ascendent, also spelled ascendant in American English, is a term with several related meanings in different fields. In astrology, it refers to the zodiac sign rising on the eastern horizon at the exact time and place of a person’s birth. The ascendant, or rising sign, is calculated from birth data and marks the cusp of the first house in the natal chart. It is believed to influence outward appearance, first impressions, and spontaneous behavior, and it is used together with the sun sign and moon sign to interpret personality. The sign on the ascendant can change roughly every two hours, making accurate birth information important for chart construction.

In genealogical and historical contexts, an ascendent is an ancestor or forebear—the person from whom one is descended, usually considered in an upward lineage on a family tree. The term is most often used in technical genealogical language and is contrasted with descendant, which denotes later generations.

As a general adjective, ascendent can describe something rising or increasing, though this usage is less common in modern English. The more common adjective form is ascending, and the noun form preferred by many is ascendant (without the e). Spelling variation exists, with ascendant frequently used in American English and ascendent appearing in some British or older texts.

Etymology traces ascendent to Latin ascensus, from ascendere “to ascend.” In practice, the term appears most prominently in astrology, where the ascendant is a standard element of natal charts, and in genealogical writings as a technical term for forebears.