Declivous

/dɪˈklaɪvəs/ adjective

Definition

Having a downward slope or inclination; tending to slope downward.

Etymology

Direct from Latin declivosus or declivis, meaning 'sloping down.' Like declivity, it derives from de- 'down' and clivus 'slope,' forming an adjective ending in -ous.

Kelly Says

Declivous and aclivous are mirror-image words—one slopes down, one slopes up—yet almost nobody uses them today. Medieval monks and surveyors would have known these words intimately when mapping lands and planning drainage systems.

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