degradation
🇺🇸 /ˌdɛgrəˈdeɪʃən/
📖 Definitions
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noun
The act or process of degrading or being degraded; a decline in quality, value, or condition.; The state of being reduced to a lower or less respected condition; humiliation or loss of dignity.; The wearing down or erosion of land or rock by natural agents such as water, wind, or ice.; The chemical breakdown of a substance into simpler compounds, especially by biological or environmental processes.; The reduction of a person from a higher rank or position to a lower one; demotion or dismissal from office.; In thermodynamics, the decrease in the availability of energy to do useful work, often associated with an increase in entropy.; In electronics or signal processing, the deterioration of signal quality due to noise, interference, or distortion.; In ecology, the deterioration of an ecosystem's structure, function, or biodiversity due to human activity or natural causes.; In geology, the process by which rocks are broken down into smaller particles through weathering and erosion.; In biochemistry, the metabolic breakdown of complex molecules into simpler ones, often releasing energy.
🔗 Details
Word forms
countable / uncountable
Plural: degradations
Collocations
environmental degradationsoil degradationdegradation of the environmentthermal degradationbiodegradationprotein degradationland degradation
Derivatives
degradedegradabledegradeddegradingdegraderbiodegradationphotodegradation
Synonyms
deteriorationdeclinedecaydebasementdecompositionerosion
Antonyms
improvementenhancementupgrade
Commonly confused
degression
EN: 'Degression' refers to a decrease in a tax rate or a digression in speech; 'degradation' refers to the process of deteriorating or being broken down.
degradation
EN: Not to be confused with 'degradation' (lowering in rank/dignity) vs. 'degradation' (physical/chemical breakdown) — same spelling but distinct senses.
Spelling tips
EN: Remember it is formed from 'degrade' + '-ation', so the 'e' is dropped: 'degradation', not 'degradeation' or 'degradition'.
💬 Examples
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The degradation of the environment has become a major global concern.
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He felt the degradation of being forced to beg on the street.
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The degradation of the coastline was accelerated by rising sea levels.
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The degradation of organic matter in soil releases nutrients for plant growth.
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The officer faced degradation and dishonorable discharge after the court-martial.
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The degradation of energy in a closed system is described by the second law of thermodynamics.
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Signal degradation over long distances can be mitigated by using repeaters.
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Habitat degradation is one of the leading causes of species extinction.
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The degradation of the mountain range occurred over millions of years.
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Protein degradation in the cell is primarily carried out by the proteasome.