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Definition of "declination" [dec•li•na•tion]

  • A sloping or bending downward. (noun)
  • A falling off, especially from prosperity or vigor; a decline. (noun)
  • A deviation, as from a specific direction or standard. (noun)
  • A refusal to accept. (noun)
  • Magnetic declination. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "declination" in a sentence
  • "Between sunrise and the declination is the Sunnat-time, and therefore the best."
  • "[2] The declination is the variation of the needle from the true meridian of a place."
  • "One of the many methods adopted for mounting equatorials is that exhibited -- with the omission of some minor details -- in fig. 9. _a_ is the polar axis, _b_ is the axis (called the declination axis) which bears the telescope."