degeneration
noun
de·gen·er·a·tion
di-ˌje-nə-ˈrā-shən 
ˌdē-
1
: degenerate (see degenerate entry 1) condition
2
: a lowering of effective power, vitality, or essential quality to an enfeebled and worsened kind or state
the country's degeneration into chaos
… enacts the degeneration of politics into televisual entertainment …—
Linda Holt
Linda Holt3
: intellectual, moral, or artistic decline
Many of her stories show the degeneration of a principled person into a lethal one …—Susannah Clapp
Susannah Clapp… argue that the tradition has radically devolved, and that books like "The Kiss," by Kathryn Harrison, represent the degeneration of a once ennobled form.—Deborah E. McDowell
Deborah E. McDowell4
biology
a
: progressive deterioration of physical characters from a level representing the norm of earlier generations or forms
b
: deterioration of a tissue or an organ in which its function is diminished or its structure is impaired
a degeneration of cartilage
Synonyms
Examples of degeneration in a Sentence
the organization's degeneration from a movement for political reform to just another political party
the troubling degeneration of his memory since he reached middle age
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s the news out of Oxford University, where a recent study found that there are at least 15 modifiable lifestyle factors that contribute to the acceleration of brain degeneration.
—Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 1 Oct. 2024
Conventional cotton farming leads to soil degeneration due to intensive use of pesticides and contributes to climate irregularities.
—Judith Magyar, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
The damage consisted of early brain cell degeneration and large tears to his septum pellucidum.
—Emiliana Betancourt, Variety, 18 Sep. 2024
Joint degeneration: Over time, the cartilage in joints wears down, leading to conditions like osteoarthritis.
—Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for degeneration 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 1 Oct. 2024
Conventional cotton farming leads to soil degeneration due to intensive use of pesticides and contributes to climate irregularities.
—Judith Magyar, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
The damage consisted of early brain cell degeneration and large tears to his septum pellucidum.
—Emiliana Betancourt, Variety, 18 Sep. 2024
Joint degeneration: Over time, the cartilage in joints wears down, leading to conditions like osteoarthritis.
—Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for degeneration
Dictionary Entries Near degeneration
Cite this Entry
“Degeneration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/degeneration. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
degeneration
noun
de·gen·er·a·tion
di-ˌjen-ə-ˈrā-shən
ˌdē-
1
: a lowering of power, vitality, or essential quality to a feebler and poorer kind or state
2
a
: a change in a tissue or an organ resulting in lessened activity or usefulness
kidney degeneration in old age
b
: a condition marked by degeneration of physical parts (as organs) present in related forms
tapeworms exhibit extreme degeneration
Medical Definition
degeneration
noun
de·gen·er·a·tion
di-ˌjen-ə-ˈrā-shən, ˌdē-
1
: intellectual or moral decline tending toward dissolution of character or integrity : a progressive worsening of personal adjustment
2
a
: progressive deterioration of physical characters from a level representing the norm of earlier generations or forms : regression of the morphology of a group or kind of organism toward a simpler less highly organized state
parasitism leads to degeneration
b
: deterioration of a tissue or an organ in which its vitality is diminished or its structure impaired
especially
: deterioration in which specialized cells are replaced by less specialized cells (as in fibrosis or in malignancies) or in which cells are functionally impaired (as by deposition of abnormal matter in the tissue)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share