Etymology Map
Back to all words

Decline

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to become smaller; to refuse politely

Where does the word "decline" come from? It comes from Latin declinare, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
declinare
Latin · ancient
"to bend aside"
'de-' plus 'clinare', to lean
2
Stage 2 of 3
decliner
Old French · medieval
"to turn aside"
also grammatical declension
3
Stage 3 of 3
decline
English · 1300s
"to sink; to turn aside"
the sense 'politely refuse' dates from the 1600s
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Decline’s story begins in Latin: declinare meant “to bend aside.” 'de-' plus 'clinare', to lean. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as decliner. Also grammatical declension. It reached English by 1300s as decline. The sense 'politely refuse' dates from the 1600s. Today, decline means to become smaller; to refuse politely.