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

3

: intellectual, moral, or artistic decline

Many of her stories show the degeneration of a principled person into a lethal one …

—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

4

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

• deterioration
• degradation
• decline
• declination

Choose the Right Synonym for degeneration

deterioration, degeneration, decadence, decline mean the falling from a higher to a lower level in quality, character, or vitality.

deterioration implies generally the impairment of value or usefulness.

the deterioration of the house through neglect

degeneration stresses physical, intellectual, or especially moral retrogression.

the degeneration of their youthful idealism into cynicism

decadence presupposes a reaching and passing the peak of development and implies a turn downward with a consequent loss in vitality or energy.

cited love of luxury as a sign of cultural decadence

decline differs from decadence in suggesting a more markedly downward direction and greater momentum as well as more obvious evidence of deterioration.

the meteoric decline of his career after the scandal

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

Moderate degeneration of up to two lumbar intervertebral discs was confirmed by an MRI scan. —Paul McClure 06, New Atlas, 6 May 2025

Scientists have uncovered critical pathways to combat osteoporosis and related conditions more effectively and efficiently by studying rapid skeletal degeneration in microgravity. —Shelli Brunswick, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025

The results showed that participants who spent more time sitting were more likely to have cognitive decline and brain degeneration, affecting memory and cognitive processing speed. —Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 15 May 2025

Following his retirement from acting in 2022 due to an aphasia diagnosis, Willis' family revealed in February 2023 that the actor had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, a brain disorder caused by degeneration of the brain's frontal lobe. —Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see degenerate entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing degeneration

• age-related macular degeneration
• macular degeneration

Rhymes for degeneration

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Kids 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)