deterioration
Americannoun
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the act or process of deteriorating.
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the state or condition of having deteriorated.
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a gradual decline, as in quality, serviceability, or vigor.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of deterioration
1650–60; < Late Latin dēteriōrātiōn- (stem of dēteriōrātiō ), equivalent to dēteriōrāt ( us ) ( see deteriorate) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
If something is in a state of deterioration, it's getting worse. A crumbling old house with a caved-in roof and foot-tall weeds growing through the deck is going through deterioration. Deterioration implies that things are falling apart: something once in good condition is now weakened, worn out, or otherwise in decline. Things often undergo deterioration because of neglect. Time also has a lot to do with deterioration. Museum curators are always worried about stopping the deterioration of their prized antiquities, like the ancient Egyptian mummies that should not be exposed to air.
Vocabulary lists containing deterioration
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
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Tears of a Tiger
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myPerspectives 8.4
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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.
See Examples For:
It’s unclear what led to the eagle’s deterioration, though there are several theories.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
In March, eight bodies were found in a state of "advanced deterioration" in the mortuary at the trust after hospitals ran out of freezer space.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
"This could become the most significant smoke event in New York City since 2023, and conditions will be closely monitored for any deterioration," the city's Department of Emergency Management said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
A deterioration in the U.S. deficit is also causing Treasurys to cheapen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
The collapse of the Soviet Union had meant the deterioration of its public health policy.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
She was asked about unexpected deteriorations among babies in the period she had worked in Chester, between April and September 2015.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2024
For the film, we created several CVR audios, with different iterations and deteriorations and "parasite" sounds with different layers so during the film you could, like the character, understand what happened during the crash.
From Salon ● Apr. 29, 2022
Along with the deteriorations caused by age, weak adherence to safety standards, poor maintenance and corruption among enforcement bodies are all considered contributors to such disasters.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 20, 2021
Manufacturers reported longer lead times as trucking issues and capacity shortages led to what the survey said was one of the greatest deteriorations in vendor performance on record.
From Reuters ● Sep. 23, 2021
Nay, are the suggested improvements of that teaching really gross deteriorations?
From The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 6 (of 12) Dresden Edition?Discussions by Ingersoll, Robert Green
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.
