Degradation

5 definitions found

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

  Degradation \Deg`ra*da"tion\, n. [LL. degradatio, from
     degradare: cf. F. d['e]gradation. See {Degrade}.]
     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.


        [1913 Webster]
  
              He saw many removes and degradations in all the
              other offices of which he had been possessed.
                                                    --Clarendon.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. The state of being reduced in rank, character, or
        reputation; baseness; moral, physical, or intellectual
        degeneracy; disgrace; abasement; debasement.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The . . . degradation of a needy man of letters.
                                                    --Macaulay.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Deplorable is the degradation of our nature.
                                                    --South.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Moments there frequently must be, when a sinner is
              sensible of the degradation of his state. --Blair.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Diminution or reduction of strength, efficacy, or value;
        degeneration; deterioration.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The development and degradation of the alphabetic
              forms can be traced.                  --I. Taylor
                                                    (The
                                                    Alphabet).
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. (Geol.) A gradual wearing down or wasting, as of rocks and
        banks, by the action of water, frost etc.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     5. (Biol.) The state or condition of a species or group which
        exhibits degraded forms; degeneration.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The degradation of the species man is observed in
              some of its varieties.                --Dana.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     6. (Physiol.) Arrest of development, or degeneration of any
        organ, or of the body as a whole.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Degradation of energy}, or {Dissipation of energy}
        (Physics), the transformation of energy into some form in
        which it is less available for doing work.
  
     Syn: Abasement; debasement; reduction; decline.
          [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  degradation
       n 1: changing to a lower state (a less respected state) [syn: {debasement}]
       2: a low or downcast state; "each confession brought her into
          an attitude of abasement"- H.L.Menchken [syn: {abasement},
           {abjection}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  198 Moby Thesaurus words for "degradation":
     abandon, abandonment, abasement, abjection, abjectness, ablation,
     abominableness, atomization, atrociousness, banishment, baseness,
     beggarliness, biodegradability, biodegradation, blackballing,
     breakup, bump, bust, casting down, chicanery, comedown, concavity,
     contemptibility, contemptibleness, corrosion, corruptedness,
     corruption, corruptness, crumbling, crumminess, de-escalation,
     debasement, decadence, decadency, decay, declension, declination,
     decline, decomposition, deformation, defrocking, degeneracy,
     degenerateness, degeneration, degradability, degrading,
     demoralization, demotion, depluming, deportation, depravation,
     depravedness, depravity, depreciation, depression, deprivation,
     derogation, descent, despicableness, deterioration, detrusion,
     devolution, dilapidation, diminution, disbarment, discredit,
     disfellowship, disgrace, disgrading, dishonor, disintegration,
     disjunction, disorganization, displuming, disrepute, dissoluteness,
     dissolution, downgrading, downtrend, downturn, downward mobility,
     downward trend, drop, ducking, dying, ebb, effeteness, enormity,
     erosion, exclusion, excommunication, execrableness, exile,
     expatriation, extradition, fading, failing, failure,
     failure of nerve, fall, falling-off, foulness, fugitation,
     fulsomeness, grossness, hauling down, heinousness, hollowness,
     humbling, humiliation, ignobility, ignominiousness, ignominy,
     incoherence, infamousness, infamy, ingloriousness, involution,
     knavery, knavishness, lapse, littleness, loss of honor,
     loss of tone, lowering, lowness, meanness, mildew, miserableness,
     mold, monstrousness, moral pollution, moral turpitude,
     nefariousness, obloquy, obnoxiousness, odiousness, odium,
     opprobrium, ostracism, ostracization, outlawing, outlawry,
     oxidation, oxidization, paltriness, pettiness, pokiness, poorness,
     profligacy, rankness, rascality, rascalry, ravages of time,
     reduction, regression, relegation, reprobacy, resolution,
     retrocession, retrogradation, retrogression, roguery, roguishness,
     rottenness, rust, rustication, scabbiness, scampishness,
     scoundrelism, scrubbiness, scruffiness, scumminess, scurviness,
     shabbiness, shame, shoddiness, sinking, slippage, slump, smallness,
     spoilage, squalor, stripping, stripping of rank, submergence,
     thrusting under, transportation, turpitude, unfrocking, vileness,
     villainousness, villainy, vitiation, wane, wear, wear and tear,
     wretchedness
  
  

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  DEGRADATION, punishment, ecclesiastical law. A censure by which a clergy man 
  is deprived of his holy orders, which he had as a priest or deacon. 
  
  

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  DEGRADATION, n.  One of the stages of moral and social progress from
  private station to political preferment.