degenerative
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- nondegenerative adjective
- undegenerative adjective
Etymology
Origin of degenerative
First recorded in 1840–50; degenerate + -ive
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.
CTE is a degenerative brain disease that has been found in people exposed to repetitive head trauma; it can be diagnosed only after death.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026
Petrou was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative disorder that leads to vision loss, at age 18.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
The degenerative brain disease is linked to repeated blows to the head and causes an increased risk of mental illness.
From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026
Li, who suffers from a genetic degenerative condition that progressively weakens muscles, relies on a ventilator permanently connected to his windpipe to breathe, but grows celery with the help of his 62-year-old mother.
From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026
Katie leaned forward, and I whispered the many problems I’d been suffering, which had led to the diagnosis of chronic, degenerative, relapsing-remitting inflammobetigoitis.
From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen
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.
