1
as in deterioration
a change to a lower state or level
the organization's degeneration from a movement for political reform to just another political party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weakening
a gradual sinking and wasting away of mind or body
the troubling degeneration of his memory since he reached middle age
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in degradation
a sinking to a state of low moral standards and behavior
the general degeneration that characterized so many old mining towns, which had only drinking and gambling for entertainment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of degeneration
The diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia, a brain disorder caused by degeneration of the brain's frontal lobe, comes nearly a year after Willis' family confirmed the movie icon, now 67, was stepping away from acting due to an aphasia diagnosis.
—
Edward Segarra, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
And their medial knee cartilage showed less worsening, suggesting slower cartilage degeneration.
—New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2025
According to Boston University’s Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center, progressive degeneration of brain tissue in people with CTE includes the buildup of an abnormal protein called tau in a pattern that distinguishes it from other diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
—Jimmy Golen, Chicago Tribune, 30 July 2025
An autopsy must reveal evidence of tissue degeneration and abnormal clumps of certain proteins around blood vessels in the brain.
—Shreya Srinivasan, NBC news, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for degeneration
Edward Segarra, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
And their medial knee cartilage showed less worsening, suggesting slower cartilage degeneration.
—New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2025
According to Boston University’s Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center, progressive degeneration of brain tissue in people with CTE includes the buildup of an abnormal protein called tau in a pattern that distinguishes it from other diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
—Jimmy Golen, Chicago Tribune, 30 July 2025
An autopsy must reveal evidence of tissue degeneration and abnormal clumps of certain proteins around blood vessels in the brain.
—Shreya Srinivasan, NBC news, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for degeneration
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degeneration
Noun
-
Some of it is also related to the age and deterioration of much of the grid, which now requires rebuilding.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The deterioration in the labor market has been concentrated in payroll employment, which is the [datapoint] that is the most susceptible to demographic and immigration changes.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The hurricane entered western Cuba as a Category 3, but the island’s mountains ripped up the eye, weakening but also broadening the storm.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Africa’s democracy index score has regressed recently, shrinking each of the past six years, pointing at voter dissatisfaction and weakening institutions.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
According to the new study, certain forms of iron oxyhydroxide nanominerals can catalyze the degradation of organophosphate esters (OPEs), chemical additives used in plastics as flame retardants and softeners.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Housing materials in artistic practice are fitting for an environment that is constantly under simultaneous construction and degradation, with sea levels continuing to rise, potholes throughout the city and as our own infrastructure buckles under the weight of an ever growing population.—
Mario Rodriguez,
Miami Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
However, the league is looking to its next steps to after the 2025 season saw a 5% decline in game attendance, according to Sports Business Journal.—
Jessica Golden,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
-
But their party went into swift decline during the Cold War that began in the late 1940s and barely exists today.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Despite years of legal battles over the relocations, more than 150,000 bodies were exhumed from the 1920s to the early 1940s for the trip to Colma, each in various stages of decay.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Why didn’t evolution produce a more dependable version of the human body, less prone to malfunction and decay?—
Lucinda Rosenfeld,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Steeped in a culture of corruption, those who would take over from Maduro would continue to prioritize enriching themselves.—
Quico Toro,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Though Cheney was not personally named in litigation, Halliburton settled a Nigerian corruption complaint for $250 million.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Presenting their findings in a lengthy declination memo, the prosecutors explicitly mentioned the two other investigations to bolster their recommendation that probable cause does not exist to charge Comey, according to sources familiar with the contents of the memo.—
Katherine Faulders,
ABC News,
6 Oct. 2025
-
On those three dates, variations in the moon's position relative to Earth's equator — particularly its declination — can influence tidal forces that subtly affect Earth's rotation rate.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Degeneration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degeneration. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share