degenerative

[dih-jen-er-uh-tiv, -uh-rey-tiv]

adjective

1. tending to degenerate.

2. characterized by degeneration.

degenerative

/ dɪˈdʒɛnəˌreɪtɪv /

adjective

1. (of a disease or condition) getting steadily worse

Other Word Forms

• nondegenerative adjective
• undegenerative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of degenerative¹

First recorded in 1840–50; degenerate + -ive

Example Sentences

As human cells grow older or are harmed by degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, or by exposure to harmful agents like chemotherapy drugs, their ability to generate energy steadily drops.

Read more on Science Daily

Across the globe, a wide range of animals, including household pets, livestock, and marine species, are developing serious health problems such as cancer, obesity, diabetes, and degenerative joint disease.

Read more on Science Daily

Paralyzed and in severe pain from cerebral palsy and degenerative arthritis, she checked into a California hospital with the intention of starving herself.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disorder that affects more than 500 million people globally, is the leading cause of disability among older adults.

Read more on Science Daily

Rilkean memory helps explain a phenomenon that caretakers of people with degenerative brain diseases know intimately.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• backward 
• deteriorating 
• regressive 
• retrogressive