degradation

[ deg-ruh-dey-shuhn ]
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noun
  1. the act of degrading.

  2. the state of being degraded.

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

  2. Chemistry. the breakdown of an organic compound.

Origin of degradation

1
First recorded in 1525–35; from Late Latin dēgradātiōn-, stem of dēgradātiō, from dēgradāt(us) “degraded” (past participle of dēgradāre; see degrade) + -iō -ion

Other words for degradation

Other words from degradation

  • deg·ra·da·tion·al, adjective
  • deg·ra·da·tive, adjective
  • an·ti·deg·ra·da·tion, adjective
  • non·deg·ra·da·tion, noun
  • self-deg·ra·da·tion, noun

Words Nearby degradation

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How to use degradation in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for degradation

degradation

/ (ˌdɛɡrəˈdeɪʃən) /


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

  2. a state of degeneration, squalor, or poverty

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

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

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

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

  5. RC Church the permanent unfrocking of a priest

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