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

Example Sentences

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

Anxieties about overconsumption and environmental degradation lie beneath the playfulness.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

I imagined about two hundred seventy-six different things Claire might do to me and how I might protect myself from utter and complete degradation in all two hundred seventy-six cases.

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan

Related Words

• degeneration
• deterioration