Declined

How to spell declined

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce declined

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does declined mean?

1. verbPolitely refused or turned down an offer, invitation, or request.
2. verbBecame smaller, weaker, or less in amount or quality.

Declined in a sentence

• She declined the job offer because the salary was too low.

• House prices declined steadily over the last two quarters.

• He declined the invitation to the wedding due to a prior commitment.

• His health declined rapidly after the surgery.

Where does declined come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This is the past tense of 'decline', which English took from the Old French 'decliner', meaning 'to bend down' or 'to turn aside'. That French verb came in turn from the Latin 'declinare', built from 'de-' meaning 'down or away' and 'clinare' meaning 'to lean or bend'. The literal idea of leaning away gave rise to several figurative senses: turning aside from a request (refusing), bending downward in fortune or health (decreasing), and the grammarian's sense of running through the forms of a noun. The same 'clinare' root leans through many relatives, including 'incline', 'recline', and even 'climate'. English adopted it in the 1300s, and the spelling stays regular, with the only real care being the silent 'e' of 'decline' that survives as 'declined'.

How the word is built

• de- (down, away)
• clin (to lean, bend)
• -ed (past tense suffix)