WordGarden.iodegradation
C1Pronunciation
UK
- /dɪɡrədˈeɪʃən/
US
- /ˌdɛɡrəˈdeɪʃən/
Meanings
Noun
a decline in quality, condition, or functioning
the chemical or biological breakdown of a substance into simpler forms
humiliation or a lowering of dignity or social standing
More meaningsFewer meanings
loss of quality in a signal, image, audio stream, or other digital output
Beyond the definition
Imagine a beautiful antique chair left out in the rain. Over time, it will suffer degradation – its wood will rot, paint will peel, and it will lose its original splendor. Degradation isn't always about physical things; it can also describe a decline in someone's character or a lowering of standards. A politician accused of accepting bribes is experiencing moral degradation. Sometimes, in science, degradation refers to the breaking down of something – like plastic degrading over hundreds of years.
Degradation implies a loss of quality or value. It's not just change; it's change for the worse. You might talk about environmental degradation due to pollution, or the degradation of trust in government. Think of it as things falling apart, becoming less good, or losing their worth.
The word degradation refers to the process of something declining or deteriorating – a lowering in quality, value, or condition. It's a powerful term that suggests a loss of what was once good or strong. For example: "The environmental degradation caused by deforestation is alarming," highlights the worsening state of forests and their ecosystems.
Degradation can apply to many different things. Physical degradation describes the wearing down of materials – like metal rusting, buildings crumbling, or soil erosion. Moral degradation refers to a decline in ethical standards or character—a loss of integrity. "His actions showed a complete moral degradation," suggests he behaved unethically and lost his principles.
In science, particularly chemistry and biology, degradation often describes the breakdown of complex molecules into simpler ones. For example, protein degradation is a natural process within cells, but it can also be caused by disease. Plastic degradation refers to the slow breaking down of plastic materials, which poses a significant environmental problem.
The term can even describe a humbling or diminishing experience for a person – though this usage is less common today. Historically, it could refer to a reduction in military rank as punishment.
So whether you're talking about the environment, character, scientific processes, or historical punishments, degradation always implies a process of decline, decay, and loss of quality—a falling from a previous, better state.
Examples
- 1
Environment
Years of deforestation have led to severe environmental degradation in the area.
- 2
Materials
Heat and moisture can cause the gradual degradation of paper.
- 3
Product performance
After two years of daily use, there was noticeable degradation in the battery’s performance.
- Patterndegradation in + performance/quality
a decline in how well it works
- 4
Image quality
Heavy compression caused a visible degradation of image quality.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Moral decline
The novel describes the character’s slow moral degradation over time.
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- environmental degradation
- soil degradation
- degradation of quality
- material degradation
Word family
Explore
- wear and tear
- pollution
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- degradationnoun
Forms
- degradationspluralnoun