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.

---

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

---

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

See Examples For:

degradation degradations

They cite a lack of research, that nearly no other countries have approved use of these products, and their concerns about how the peptides are made, including the degradation and concentration of active ingredients.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

It plays a vital role in flood protection, helping shield downstream residential areas, and has a "unique aquatic ecosystem" that has faced "severe environmental degradation caused by fly-tipping and littering", Brombil Reservoir Ltd said.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

Keeping the bacteria in spore form protected them until the team was ready to begin the degradation process.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

"Destruction and degradation of habitat kills threatened and endangered species just as surely as shooting them."

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

‘We’ve lived this life of degradation long enough, you and I,’ I said.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

Repair and protect democracy and we could perhaps claw back its original sins as well as its distortions and degradations.

From Slate ● Jan. 27, 2026

At first, Natasha’s antipathy toward parenthood feels refreshingly specific, with its focus on the mundane degradations that can haunt the imaginations of the happily childless.

From New York Times ● May 12, 2022

Under Hawpe’s leadership, the Courier Journal successfully fought to rein in the excesses and environmental degradations of the mining industry.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 19, 2021

She simply lets the degradations of Ivy, Ruby and Wren pile up until the nature of the crisis is inescapable.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2020

But within our boundaries we, too, drew a line that included our right to bread regardless of the indignities or degradations involved in getting it.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

Related Words

• degeneration
• deterioration