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

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

To drive home the Lázárs’ fatuity, Mr. Biedermann coats them in lurid layers of shame and degradation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

When dams, altered water flows, or habitat degradation disrupt these connections, populations can drop quickly.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

But after "25 years of degradation of the country's institutional, productive, and social fabric", he says, the conditions for that are now far less favourable.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

And without that, do you forecast some kind of degradation of Fox’s role in the decades to come?

From Slate • Mar. 21, 2026

The musicians wink and smile at each other as they play, and I see then that they are the secret emissaries of a worldwide lower-class conspiracy to snatch joy out of degradation and filth.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

Related Words

• degeneration
• deterioration