Definition of: declination

(dek′lə·nā′shən) noun
1. The act of declining; inclination; descent; slope.
2. Deterioration; decay.
3. Refusal; non-acceptance.
4. Deviation.
5. Astron. The angular distance of a heavenly body north or south from the celestial equator; celestial latitude.
6. The angle between the direction in which the magnetic needle points and the true meridian: often called magnetic declination.
7. Obs. Grammatical declension; inflection.