degeneration

/dɪˌdʒɛnəˈreɪʃən/
noun
  1. The process of becoming worse or less healthy, strong, or functional.
    • Without proper care, the old building suffered from gradual degeneration.
    • The degeneration of the forest ecosystem worried environmentalists.
    • The doctor explained that the degeneration of his joints was caused by arthritis.
  2. A decline in moral standards or social values.
    • The novel describes the moral degeneration of a once-respected politician.
    • Historians debate whether the Roman Empire fell due to internal degeneration.
    • Some people blame the degeneration of society on the loss of traditional values.
  3. In biology, the process by which a tissue or organ loses its structure and function.
    • Researchers are studying ways to slow the degeneration of muscle tissue.
    • The disease causes degeneration of nerve cells in the brain.
    • Macular degeneration is a common cause of vision loss in older adults.
What does "degeneration" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean