degradation

American  

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

noun

degradations plural

1. the act of degrading.

2. the state of being 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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• degradations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of degradation

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

Explanation

Degradation is the act of lowering something or someone to a less respected state. A president resigning from office is a degradation. It’s also a downcast state. Once the president has resigned, he might feel degradation. The noun degradation is related to the verb degrade, which comes from the Latin degradare. Degradare comes from de-, meaning “down,” and gradus, meaning "step." You can think of a degradation as a step down, or feeling as though you’re a step below.

Example Sentences

Local and nearby servers showed minimal speed degradation — we’re talking 12-19% speed loss compared to my unprotected connection, which is barely noticeable in real-world use.

From Salon • Jun. 17, 2026

"Some of the things you said to her did... amount to additional degradation and humiliation of her."

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

On the streets of the capital Tirana, protesters have cited the project to air grievances about unchecked power, environmental degradation and real-estate development, putting the country’s Prime Minister Edi Rama on the defensive.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

The team then examined how UNI418 activates this degradation pathway.

From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 2026

Nothing until the final degradation of the Christmas card.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

Related Words

• degeneration
• deterioration