01 n. The act of reducing in rank, character, or reputation, or of abasing; a lowering from one's standing or rank in office or society; diminuti…
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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; diminution; as, the degradation of a peer, a knight, a general, or a bishop.“He saw many removes and degradations in all the other offices of which he had been possessed.” — Clarendon.
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2.
The state of being reduced in rank, character, or reputation; baseness; moral, physical, or intellectual degeneracy; disgrace; abasement; debasement.“The . . . degradation of a needy man of letters.” — Macaulay.“Deplorable is the degradation of our nature.” — South.“Moments there frequently must be, when a sinner is sensible of the degradation of his state.” — Blair.
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3.
Diminution or reduction of strength, efficacy, or value; degeneration; deterioration.“The development and degradation of the alphabetic forms can be traced.” — I. Taylor (The Alphabet).
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4.
A gradual wearing down or wasting, as of rocks and banks, by the action of water, frost etc.(Geol.)
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5.
The state or condition of a species or group which exhibits degraded forms; degeneration.(Biol.)“The degradation of the species man is observed in some of its varieties.” — Dana.
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6.
Arrest of development, or degeneration of any organ, or of the body as a whole.(Physiol.)
Phrases & compounds
Degradation of energy —
the transformation of energy into some form in which it is less available for doing work.
Syn.
Abasement; debasement; reduction; decline.