degeneration
Americannoun
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the process of degenerating.
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the condition or state of being degenerate.
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Pathology.
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a process by which a tissue deteriorates, loses functional activity, and may become converted into or replaced by other kinds of tissue.
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the condition produced by such a process.
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noun
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the process of degenerating
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the state of being degenerate
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biology the loss of specialization, function, or structure by organisms and their parts, as in the development of vestigial organs
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impairment or loss of the function and structure of cells or tissues, as by disease or injury, often leading to death (necrosis) of the involved part
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the resulting condition
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electronics negative feedback of a signal
Other Word Forms
- nondegeneration noun
Etymology
Origin of degeneration
First recorded in 1475–85, degeneration is from the Late Latin word dēgenerātiōn- (stem of dēgenerātiō ). See de-, generation
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Apellis has two approved drugs: Empaveli, which is approved to treat two rare kidney diseases, and Syforvre, which is used by patients with geographic atrophy, an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
Vivien Hillgrove, writer, producer and first-time director on this film, was enjoying a 50-year career of movie editing when she started losing her sight to a form of macular degeneration.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026
Age-related macular degeneration is the most common cause of vision loss and blindness among Americans age 65 and older.
From Science Daily • Jan. 9, 2026
She has macular degeneration and is considered legally blind, though she has been able to function at home.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 30, 2025
Neither member of the Adams team could ever comprehend this historical transition as anything other than an ominous symptom of moral degeneration.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
