verb
decline
to vary a noun, pronoun, or adjective to show its grammatical role
The student declines the Latin noun through its different cases.
Etymology
Latin de- and clinare express bending aside. Grammatical declension treats a word’s changing forms as departures from its basic form, each adapted to a particular role.
More examples
- We declined several pronouns in class.
- The grammar table shows how the adjective is declined.
- She is declining the noun aloud for practice.
Forms
decline · declines · declined · declining