putrefaction

/ˌpjutrəˈfækʃən/
noun
  1. The process of decaying or rotting, especially of organic matter.
    • Forensic scientists study the stages of putrefaction to estimate time of death.
    • Putrefaction of food can be slowed by refrigeration.
    • The smell of putrefaction filled the abandoned house where an animal had died.
  2. A state of moral decay or corruption.
    • The scandal revealed the putrefaction at the heart of the organization.
    • He saw the putrefaction of values in a world obsessed with wealth.
    • The novel describes the putrefaction of society under a tyrannical regime.
Antonyms