degeneracy

noun

de·​gen·​er·​a·​cy di-ˈjen-rə-sē 

-ˈje-nə-, 

dē-

plural degeneracies

1

: the state of being degenerate

2

: the process of becoming degenerate

3

: sexual perversion

4

: the coding of an amino acid by more than one codon

Synonyms of degeneracy

• degradation
• deterioration
• declination
• decline
• descent
• decadence

Examples of degeneracy in a Sentence

the sad degeneracy of the old neighborhood into a slum

the degeneracy of the family into a gang of petty thieves

Recent Examples on the Web

Love ’em or hate ’em, these House troublemakers bucked their party leadership, stared down their president and made possible Tuesday’s vote to compel the administration to come clean about the web of degeneracy surrounding Jeffrey Epstein. —Michelle Cottle, Mercury News, 20 Nov. 2025

That's because unlike normal stars, white dwarfs support themselves through degeneracy pressure, the absolute refusal of electrons to share space. —Paul Sutter, Space.com, 18 Nov. 2025

In biology, this is called degeneracy, whereby multiple systems do similar jobs to ensure survival. —Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 15 Nov. 2025

Reformers seized on this as both a public-health and a moral crisis; for many Progressives, dirt itself was a sign of degeneracy. —Jacob Beckert, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

degeneracy

noun

de·​gen·​er·​a·​cy di-ˈjen-(ə-)rə-sē 

plural degeneracies

: the state of being or process of becoming degenerate : degradation, debasement

Medical Definition

degeneracy

noun

de·​gen·​er·​a·​cy di-ˈjen-(ə-)rə-sē 

plural degeneracies

1

: the state of being degenerate

2

: the process of becoming degenerate

3

: sexual perversion

4

: the coding of an amino acid by more than one codon of the genetic code