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APG.American
Pronunciation Guide
HOW TO PRONOUNCE

degradation

/ˌdɛɡɹəˈdeɪʃən/

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What does degradation mean?

noun

  1. The act of reducing in rank, character, or reputation, or of abasing; a lowering from one's standing or rank in office or society
  2. The state of being reduced in rank, character, or reputation; baseness; moral, physical, or intellectual degeneracy; disgrace; abasement; debasement.
  3. Diminution or reduction of strength, efficacy, or value; degeneration; deterioration.
More meanings (5)

noun

  1. A gradual wearing down or wasting, as of rocks and banks, by the action of water, frost etc.
  2. A deleterious change in the chemical structure, physical properties or appearance of a material from natural or artificial exposure.
  3. The state or condition of a species or group which exhibits degraded forms; degeneration.
  4. Arrest of development, or degeneration of any organ, or of the body as a whole.
  5. The gradual breakdown of components of a material, as a result of a natural element, i.e.: heat, cold and wind.
Wiktionary contributors

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/ˌdɛɡɹəˈdeɪʃən/

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary ↗

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

The danger was extreme, and extraordinary means alone could raise the imperial power from the degradation into which it was fallen.
Friedrich SchillerThe History of the Thirty Years' WarTranslated by A. J. W. (Alexander James William) MorrisonProject Gutenberg ebook #566
Like the non-slaveholders at the south, in holding no slaves, I suppose the northern people like them, also, in poverty and degradation.
Frederick DouglassMy Bondage and My FreedomProject Gutenberg ebook #202
More book examples (3)
Notwithstanding the degradation of price, English wool is said to have been improved considerably during the course even of the present century.
Adam SmithAn Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of NationsProject Gutenberg ebook #3300
The "fall" probably refers to their destruction by a deluge, in consequence of their moral degradation and the indignation of the gods.
Ignatius DonnellyAtlantis: The Antedeluvian WorldProject Gutenberg ebook #4032
This is a notable instance of the inevitable degradation pointed out by us in the two chapters on division of labor and machinery.
P.-J. (Pierre-Joseph) ProudhonSystem of Economical Contradictions; Or, The Philosophy of MiseryProject Gutenberg ebook #444