declination

Noun

declination (countable and uncountable, plural declinations)

1. At a given point, the angle between magnetic north and true north.

   Synonyms:

   magnetic declination

2. At a given point, the angle between the line connecting this point with the geographical center of the earth and the equatorial plane.

   Synonyms:

   δ

3. A refusal.
   • the queen's declination from marriage1746, Arthur Collins, Letters And Memorials Of State In the Reigns of Queen Mary

   Synonyms:

   nonassent, denial, rejection, abnegation, turndown, disapproval, dissension, nonapproval, nonconsent, prohibition

4. The gradual decline in the overall fundamental frequency or pitch of speech over the course of an utterance, independent of local variations such as tones and pitch accents.
5. (obsolete or non-native speakers' English) Declension.
6. (archaic) The act or state of bending downward; inclination.
   • declination of the head
7. (archaic) The act or state of falling off or declining from excellence or perfection; deterioration; decay; decline.
   • the declination of monarchy1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Cunning”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC
   • Summer […] is not looked on as a time of declination or decay.c. 1635, Edmund Waller, To My Young Lady Lucy Sidney
8. (archaic) Deviation.
   • this declination of atoms in their descent1692, Richard Bentley, [A Confutation of Atheism] (please specify the sermon), London: [Thomas Parkhurst; Henry Mortlock], published 1692–1693
   • November 2, 1690, Robert South, Sinners Inexcusable from Natural Religion Only
     every violation of and declination from the rules