noun

1. Being in control; superiority, or commanding influence; ascendency.

   "One man has the ascendant over another."

2. An ancestor (antonym of descendant)

3. (usu. followed by to) A royal heir assuming (a place of power)

   "Given his father's ghastly demise, one would not expect such glee from the ascendant to his throne."

4. Ascent; height; elevation.

5. The horoscope, or that degree of the ecliptic which rises above the horizon at the moment of one's birth; supposed to have a commanding influence on a person's life and fortune.