Standard Lemma guide

subsidence

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈsʌbsɪdəns/
  • /ˈsʌbsədəns/
  • /sʌbˈsaɪdəns/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S AH0 B S AY1 D AH0 N S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The process of becoming less active or severe.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A sinking of something to a lower level, especially of part of the surface of the Earth due to underground excavation, seismic activity or underground or ground water depletion, or the rocks in a geological basin, due to continued deposition from above.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the sudden collapse of something into a hollow beneath it

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cave in

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: collapse

4

noun

Meaning 4

a gradual sinking to a lower level

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: settling, subsiding

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sinking

5

noun

Meaning 5

an abatement in intensity or degree (as in the manifestations of a disease)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • his cancer is in remission

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: remission, remittal

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: suspension, respite, reprieve, hiatus, abatement

Narrower terms: resolution

History

Etymology

Latin subsidens, subsidentis, present participle of subsidere. Equivalent to subside + -ence.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: səngimə — process of becoming less active
  • Finnish: laantuminen — process of becoming less active
  • German: Nachlassen — process of becoming less active
  • German: Abklingen — process of becoming less active
  • Hungarian: lecsendesedés — process of becoming less active
  • Hungarian: csillapodás — process of becoming less active
  • Portuguese: enfraquecimento — process of becoming less active
  • Russian: успокое́ние (uspokojénije) — process of becoming less active
  • Russian: утиха́ние (utixánije) — process of becoming less active
  • Russian: спад (spad) — process of becoming less active
  • Russian: у́быль (úbylʹ) — process of becoming less active
  • Spanish: debilitamiento — process of becoming less active
  • Chinese Mandarin: 沉降 (chénjiàng) — sinking of ground
  • Finnish: vajoaminen — sinking of ground
  • French: subsidence — sinking of ground
  • German: Absenkung — sinking of ground
  • German: Setzung — sinking of ground
  • German: Senkung — sinking of ground
  • Ancient Greek: ἵζημα (hízēma) — sinking of ground
  • Italian: subsidenza — sinking of ground
  • Portuguese: subsidência — sinking of ground
  • Spanish: subsidencia — sinking of ground
Real reading context

subsidence in complete knowledge articles