degenerative
adjective
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Degenerative diseases—including cancer, glaucoma, Parkinson's, diabetes, arthritis, and leprosy—are usually contrasted with infectious diseases (diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa). However, many infectious diseases (Lyme disease, AIDS, etc.) can cause a body or body part to degenerate, and infective organisms play a part in some degenerative diseases. Some degenerative diseases can be controlled; some can even be cured. But no one has yet discovered a way to reverse such degenerative conditions as multiple sclerosis, emphysema, or Alzheimer's.
Examples of degenerative in a Sentence
Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2024
Arthritis is currently incurable, but the Zoo staff managed her condition with various treatments and therapies to slow down the degenerative disease and lessen the pain.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024
Often by the time symptoms of memory loss and cognitive decline appear, the degenerative brain condition is more difficult to treat.
—Alice Park, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
For example, two patients with a degenerative tissue disease like osteoarthritis of the knee can have nearly identical X-rays and yet their pain experience and response to treatments are completely different.
—Rachael Rzasa Lynn, The Conversation, 25 July 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near degenerative
Cite this Entry
“Degenerative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/degenerative. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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degenerative
adjective
Medical Definition
degenerative
adjective
-ˈjen-(ə-)rət-
Morris Fishbein
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