To politely refuse something; or a gradual decrease or weakening in quality, health, or power.
From Latin 'declinare' meaning 'to turn away or avoid,' combined with 'de-' (down) plus 'clinare' (to lean); entered English in the 13th century with both refusal and decrease meanings.
Empires use the word 'decline' to describe their fall, but historians debate whether Rome actually 'declined' or simply transformed—the word itself carries a judgment that makes rise-and-fall narratives seem more inevitable than they actually were.
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