Degeneracy

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Degeneracy \De*gen"er*a*cy\, n. [From {Degenerate}, a.]
     1. The act of becoming degenerate; a growing worse.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Willful degeneracy from goodness.     --Tillotson.
        [1913 Webster]


  
     2. The state of having become degenerate; decline in good
        qualities; deterioration; meanness.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Degeneracy of spirit in a state of slavery.
                                                    --Addison.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              To recover mankind out of their universal corruption
              and degeneracy.                       --S. Clarke.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  degeneracy
       n 1: the state of being degenerate in mental or moral qualities
            [syn: {degeneration}, {decadence}, {decadency}]
       2: moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles;
          "the luxury and corruption among the upper classes";
          "moral degeneracy followed intellectual degeneration";
          "its brothels; its opium parlors; its depravity" [syn: {corruption},
           {depravity}]