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
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
The cost of these evaluations, particularly for forensic psychiatry, orthopedic degeneration, neurological progression, or mental health cases, can reach levels that most individuals cannot privately fund.
—Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 12 Nov. 2025
Not only are relapses unpredictable but scientists have yet to explain the slow and insidious degeneration that often occurs even without new lesions.
—Lucinda Rosenfeld, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
Looking ahead, the research team plans to test the new compounds in animal and human studies, in hopes that this could lead to a new approach for slowing or repairing brain degeneration for patients with neurodegenerative diseases.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025
While Boston University's CTE Center said brain degeneration is associated with common symptoms of CTE, including impulse control problems, aggression, depression and suicidality, Zafonte and two other experts who study brain injuries said CTE has not been definitively linked to behavioral changes.
—Melissa Chan, NBC news, 26 Sep. 2025
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.
Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 12 Nov. 2025
Not only are relapses unpredictable but scientists have yet to explain the slow and insidious degeneration that often occurs even without new lesions.
—Lucinda Rosenfeld, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
Looking ahead, the research team plans to test the new compounds in animal and human studies, in hopes that this could lead to a new approach for slowing or repairing brain degeneration for patients with neurodegenerative diseases.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025
While Boston University's CTE Center said brain degeneration is associated with common symptoms of CTE, including impulse control problems, aggression, depression and suicidality, Zafonte and two other experts who study brain injuries said CTE has not been definitively linked to behavioral changes.
—Melissa Chan, NBC news, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for degeneration
Cite this Entry
“Degeneration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/degeneration. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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