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

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

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

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

Meanwhile the team's plan to aid the natterjack toad is to try and figure out how to best reverse the degradation of Cumbria's sand dunes.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

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

Nothing until the final degradation of the Christmas card.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

“He’s the guy that we put through a series of degradations and humiliations, but like the Energizer Bunny, he keeps coming back. By braving all of these things, he becomes extremely endearing.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2025

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

First, he didn’t mention a word about poverty as a primary driver of environmental degradations.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 29, 2020

In The House of God, the central critique is forceful because it is narrow: The various degradations of hospital work are displayed vividly and repeatedly.

From Slate ● Nov. 11, 2019

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