degradation

American  

[deg-ruh-dey-shuhn] / ˌdɛg rəˈdeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of degrading.

2. the state of being degraded.

   Synonyms:

   debasement, dishonor, disgrace, humiliation

3. Physical Geography. the wearing down of the land by the erosive action of water, wind, or ice.

4. Chemistry. the breakdown of an organic compound.

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degradation British  

/ ˌdɛɡrəˈdeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of degrading or the state of being degraded

2. a state of degeneration, squalor, or poverty

3. some act, constraint, etc, that is degrading

4. the wearing down of the surface of rocks, cliffs, etc, by erosion, weathering, or some other process

5. chem a breakdown of a molecule into atoms or smaller molecules

6. physics an irreversible process in which the energy available to do work is decreased

7. RC Church the permanent unfrocking of a priest

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-degradation
  noun
• degradative
  adjective
• nondegradation
  noun
• antidegradation
  adjective
• degradational
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of degradation

First recorded in 1525–35; from Late Latin dēgradātiōn-, stem of dēgradātiō, from dēgradāt(us) “degraded” (past participle of dēgradāre; see degrade) + -iō -ion

Explanation

Degradation is the act of lowering something or someone to a less respected state. A president resigning from office is a degradation. It’s also a downcast state. Once the president has resigned, he might feel degradation. The noun degradation is related to the verb degrade, which comes from the Latin degradare. Degradare comes from de-, meaning “down,” and gradus, meaning "step." You can think of a degradation as a step down, or feeling as though you’re a step below.

Example Sentences

Protected woodland and hedgerows would be adversely affected, he said, and the scheme would result in "the unacceptable disturbance, degradation and loss" of "irreplaceable peatland".

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

"I don't see the Russian economy entering the 1990s or something similar, it's just a slow degradation of everything," he added.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

The question, experts say, is whether officials can somehow deal with the dangerous chemicals in a way that does not end in a blast or the type of spill that causes environmental degradation.

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026

“We’ve seen an uptick in, maybe, a degradation of civility in the airspace,” Duffy said at Newark Liberty International Airport in late November.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

It will be the working base for an action program designed to eliminate the political oppression, the economic exploitation, and the social degradation suffered daily by twenty-two million Afro-Americans.”

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Related Words

• degeneration
• deterioration