degeneracy
Americannoun
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degenerate state or character.
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the process of degenerating; decline.
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degenerate behavior, especially behavior considered sexually deviant.
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Physics. the number of distinct quantum states of a system that have a given energy.
noun
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the act or state of being degenerate
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the process of becoming degenerate
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physics the number of degenerate quantum states of a particular orbital, degree of freedom, energy level, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of degeneracy
First recorded in 1655–65; degener(ate) + -acy
Vocabulary lists containing degeneracy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But the spirit of degeneracy had firmly gripped me.
From Slate • Nov. 18, 2025
Mr. Whigham is in his actorly wheelhouse, moral degeneracy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025
However, antiferromagnets should not exhibit lifted Kramers spin degeneracy by the magnetic order, whereas ferromagnets or altermagnets should.
From Science Daily • Feb. 14, 2024
Normally a quantum mechanical property called degeneracy pressure makes the electrons resist compression, adding support to the core.
From Scientific American • Nov. 10, 2023
Poetry was a symptom of weakness, of degeneracy and decay.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
