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declinare

to decline

verb deh-klee-NAH-reh Rare
Communication Speech

Origin: From Latin declinare (to bend away, to inflect).

Also means

to conjugate

Usage Note

Declinare covers two main senses: (1) to decline in the sense of diminishing (il potere declina, power wanes) and (2) to decline grammatically, i.e. to inflect a noun or adjective by case — a meaning carried from Latin grammar. A third sense is to decline an invitation (declinare un invito) — to politely refuse. The noun is declino (m) for the fall, and declinazione (f) for the grammatical inflection.

Examples

"Ha declinato gentilmente l'invito alla festa."

Natural Translation

She politely declined the invitation to the party.

Literal Translation

She declined politely the invitation to-the party.

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