deterioration
Americannoun
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deteriorations
plural
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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:
He said he’s seen enough overall deterioration in the market to believe the intermediate-term trend is weakening.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Port Lockroy faces escalating deterioration from age, climate change and environmental factors, said UKAHT.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
They also showed encouraging signs of slower deterioration in their knee cartilage.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
The 2026 study did not examine long-term cartilage deterioration, so it cannot establish whether these additional walking strategies slow osteoarthritis progression.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Before Kepler had time to make any decision, a deterioration in the religious situation made the decision for him.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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
The index’s 44% climb from its March 23 low stands in contrast to sharp deteriorations in gross domestic product and other economic indicators as a result of nationwide lockdowns, which are now easing.
From Reuters ● Jun. 8, 2020
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 Robert Green Ingersoll
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
