degradation

American  

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

noun

1. the act of degrading. degrade.

2. the state of being degraded. 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

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

Etymology

Origin of degradation

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

Example Sentences

Domestic debt-related financial stress, coupled with the degradation of so many cross-border economic relationships, can have serious economic, political, and security consequences.

From Barron's

Domestic debt-related financial stress, coupled with the degradation of so many cross-border economic relationships, can have serious economic, political, and security consequences.

From Barron's

As a key oil producer, Saudi Arabia is relied upon to surge output and stabilize markets during crises, but any physical degradation of its export capacity neuters this critical fail-safe.

From The Wall Street Journal

However the timber itself showed signs of degradation within several years of the tower opening to the public.

From BBC

Scientists have since established that the degradation of the island was in fact gradual, taking centuries, caused largely by drought, volcanic eruptions and the arrival of the Polynesian rat.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• degeneration
• deterioration