decadence

American  

[dek-uh-duhns, dih-keyd-ns] / ˈdɛk ə dəns, dɪˈkeɪd ns /

Also decadency

noun

1. the act or process of falling into an inferior condition or state; deterioration; decay.

   Some historians hold that the fall of Rome can be attributed to internal decadence.

   Synonyms:

   decline , retrogression , degeneration

2. moral degeneration or decay; turpitude.

3. unrestrained or excessive self-indulgence.

4. (often initial capital letter)  the decadent movement in literature.

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decadence British  

/ ˈdɛkədəns /

noun

1. deterioration, esp of morality or culture; decay; degeneration

2. the state reached through such a process

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Usage

What does decadence mean? Decadence is a state of deterioration or decay, especially due to being excessively morally corrupt or self-indulgent.The adjective form of decadence is decadent, which is used to describe things in such a state, especially societies or behavior.Decadent is also popularly used in a somewhat figurative way to describe things that are extremely indulgent, especially rich foods, as in That triple chocolate cake is so decadent that I think I can only finish half a piece. The word decadence can refer to the extreme richness or luxury of such things.When capitalized, the word Decadence has a much more specific meaning. It refers to a movement of French and English writers in the second half of the 1800s whose works were known for their refined and subtle style and sometimes abnormal content. Such writers are called Decadents and include French poet Arthur Rimbaud and Irish writer Oscar Wilde.Example: Historians have traditionally depicted the late Roman Empire as having been brought down in part by its decadence, but others have debated whether supposed corruption of morals actually contributed to its fall.a

Other Word Forms

• nondecadence noun
• nondecadency noun
• overdecadence noun

Etymology

Origin of decadence

First recorded in 1540–50; from Middle French, from Medieval Latin dēcadentia, from Late Latin dēcadent-, stem of dēcadēns “falling away” (present participle of dēcadere “to fall away,” from de- de- + cad(ere) “to fall”) + -ia -y ³ ( def. )

Example Sentences

National renewal: The country must be reinvigorated from its decadence by a kind of shock therapy; this trait is a function of an exaggerated nostalgia and a hatred of the present.

From Salon

For writers in the 1960s, middle-class infidelity offered a keyhole to deeper social themes—“the relation of individual to collective decadence,” the critic Wilfrid Sheed wrote of Updike’s fiction.

From The Wall Street Journal

Now he faces the merely gargantuan task of propelling his country out of “100 years of decadence,” to quote his own phrase.

From Barron's

Perhaps as a rebellion against her partner’s darkness and decadence, Birkin developed a personal style that exuded lightness, naturalness and relatable elegance.

From The Wall Street Journal

Cooper is very much alive and enjoying a modest and well-deserved decadence.

From Los Angeles Times