acclivity

ac•cliv•i•ty (uh-KLIV-i-tee)  n

Definition:
an upward slope, as of a hill; an ascent

acclivities plural; acclivitous, acclivous adjective

Origin:
1614; from L. acclivitatem (nom. acclivitas) "an ascending direction, an upward steepness," from acclivis "mounting upwards, ascending," from ad- "up" + clivus "hill, a slope," from PIE *klei-wo-, suffixed form of *klei- "to lean"

Related:
Synonyms: incline, hill, rise, ascent, grade, gradient, incline, rise
Antonyms: declivity
Related Words: proclivity

Sentence Examples:
• After ascending, by a gentle acclivity, into a picturesque and romantic pass, we entered a spacious valley, and, in the course of little more than half an hour, reached this town; the largest, the most populous, and the most superb that I have yet seen. -The Ayrshire Legatees, John Galt

• And none the less I wished it, for now first noticing what seemed some sort of glen, or grotto, in the mountain side; at least, whatever it was, viewed through the rainbow's medium, it glowed like the Potosi mine. But a work-a-day neighbor said, no doubt it was but some old barn--an abandoned one, its broadside beaten in, the acclivity its background. But I, though I had never been there, I knew better. -The Piazza, Herman Melville

• On the northern shore of Sicily are still to be seen the magnificent remains of a castle, which formerly belonged to the noble house of Mazzini. It stands in the centre of a small bay, and upon a gentle acclivity, which, on one side, slopes towards the sea, and on the other rises into an eminence crowned by dark woods. -A Sicilian Romance, Ann Radcliffe

The Storyline
She saw the way up from here. The acclivity wasn't steep, but it was long.

Sources: Free Dictionary, Online Etymology

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