degeneration
/di,dʤenə'reiʃn/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- The process of becoming worse in physical, mental, or moral qualities: A decline from a higher, more complex, or more functional state to a lower, simpler, or less vital one.
- The state of having declined in such qualities: The condition of being degenerate.
- (Biology) A return to a less complex or more primitive form: The process in biology where an organism or part of an organism loses its specialized features or complexity over time.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- The doctor explained that the patient's condition was due to the degeneration of nerve cells.
- The novel explores the moral degeneration of a once-honorable family.
- In evolutionary biology, some parasites show degeneration, losing organs they no longer need.
Advanced Usage
- "Degeneration of": Used to specify what is declining.
- The degeneration of public discourse is a concern for many.
- "Lead to degeneration": Describes a cause-and-effect relationship.
- Chronic stress can lead to the degeneration of one's health.
Variants and Related Words
- Degenerate (verb): To decline or deteriorate in quality.
- The peaceful protest threatened to degenerate into violence.
- Degenerate (adjective/noun): Having declined in quality; a person or thing that has declined.
- He was accused of having degenerate tastes. (adj)
- Degenerative (adjective): Relating to or causing degeneration.
- Arthritis is a degenerative joint disease.
Synonyms
- Deterioration: The process of becoming progressively worse.
- Decline: A gradual and continuous loss of strength, quality, or value.
- Decay: The process of rotting or decomposition; can be used figuratively for moral or social decline.
Antonyms
- Improvement: The act of making something better.
- Development: The process of growing or becoming more advanced.
- Progress: Forward or onward movement toward a destination or goal.
Related Phrases and Concepts
- "Moral degeneration": A decline in ethical standards or behavior.
- The historian wrote about the moral degeneration that preceded the empire's fall.
- "Neural degeneration": The progressive loss of structure or function of neurons.
- Parkinson's disease involves neural degeneration in specific brain regions.
Noun
- passing from a more complex to a simpler biological form
- the state of being degenerate in mental or moral qualities
- the process of declining from a higher to a lower level of effective power or vitality or essential quality