degradation

American  

[deg-ruh-dey-shuhn] / ˌdɛg rəˈdeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of degrading.

2. the state of being degraded.

   Synonyms:

   debasement, dishonor, disgrace, humiliation

3. Physical Geography. the wearing down of the land by the erosive action of water, wind, or ice.

4. Chemistry. the breakdown of an organic compound.

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degradation British  

/ ˌdɛɡrəˈdeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of degrading or the state of being degraded

2. a state of degeneration, squalor, or poverty

3. some act, constraint, etc, that is degrading

4. the wearing down of the surface of rocks, cliffs, etc, by erosion, weathering, or some other process

5. chem a breakdown of a molecule into atoms or smaller molecules

6. physics an irreversible process in which the energy available to do work is decreased

7. RC Church the permanent unfrocking of a priest

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Other Word Forms

• antidegradation adjective
• degradational adjective
• degradative adjective
• nondegradation noun
• self-degradation noun

Etymology

Origin of degradation

First recorded in 1525–35; from Late Latin dēgradātiōn-, stem of dēgradātiō, from dēgradāt(us) “degraded” (past participle of dēgradāre; see degrade) + -iō -ion

Explanation

Degradation is the act of lowering something or someone to a less respected state. A president resigning from office is a degradation. It’s also a downcast state. Once the president has resigned, he might feel degradation. The noun degradation is related to the verb degrade, which comes from the Latin degradare. Degradare comes from de-, meaning “down,” and gradus, meaning "step." You can think of a degradation as a step down, or feeling as though you’re a step below.

Example Sentences

"Clinical trials to determine whether glycogen degradation in ALS/FTD patients could slow disease progression are also supported by our findings and could begin in a year."

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026

But after "25 years of degradation of the country's institutional, productive, and social fabric", he says, the conditions for that are now far less favourable.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

Anxieties about overconsumption and environmental degradation lie beneath the playfulness.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

Domestic debt-related financial stress, coupled with the degradation of so many cross-border economic relationships, can have serious economic, political, and security consequences.

From Barron's • Mar. 7, 2026

“Perhaps my wife won’t like London; then the sentence is banishment & degradation into indolent, idle fool.”

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman

Related Words

• degeneration
• deterioration