1
as in degradation
a change to a lower state or level
the sad degeneracy of the old neighborhood into a slum
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2
as in corruption
a sinking to a state of low moral standards and behavior
the degeneracy of the family into a gang of petty thieves
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Recent Examples of degeneracy
In effect, compounding interest (historically low for the past decade but lately headed upwards) must outrun the costs of taxation (declining globally), procreation (declining in wealthier countries), and the loafing and degeneracy that attend the inheritance of great fortunes.
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Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 14 Sep. 2022
The stories she’s heard — of cruelty and degeneracy, bravery and ingenuity — stagger the imagination.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2022
The action, by more than half the Republican members of the House and almost a quarter of GOP senators, may rank among the most cynically contrived, morally contemptible, soul-corrupting acts of political degeneracy ever attempted.
—Gerard Baker, WSJ, 4 Jan. 2021
Here’s the latest on degeneracy Superb Lucas Brouwers post on the origins of a frog-killing fungusWe are all connected: a beautiful short video from the WWF showing the humans and other animals juxtaposed in split-screen, shot for shot.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 26 Nov. 2011
See all Example Sentences for degeneracy 
Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 14 Sep. 2022
The stories she’s heard — of cruelty and degeneracy, bravery and ingenuity — stagger the imagination.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2022
The action, by more than half the Republican members of the House and almost a quarter of GOP senators, may rank among the most cynically contrived, morally contemptible, soul-corrupting acts of political degeneracy ever attempted.
—Gerard Baker, WSJ, 4 Jan. 2021
Here’s the latest on degeneracy Superb Lucas Brouwers post on the origins of a frog-killing fungusWe are all connected: a beautiful short video from the WWF showing the humans and other animals juxtaposed in split-screen, shot for shot.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 26 Nov. 2011
See all Example Sentences for degeneracy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for degeneracy
Noun
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Our region has been plagued for far too long by foreign interference, wars, sectarian conflicts, terrorism, drug trafficking, water scarcity, refugee crises, and environmental degradation.Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 2 Dec. 2024
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These novel electrolytes are designed to be much less susceptible to degradation, offering a more stable electrolyte-environment interface.Matthew Dawson, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
Noun
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In 2016, parliament impeached Park Geun-hye, the country’s first female president, over a corruption scandal.Kim Tong-Hyung, Chicago Tribune, 14 Dec. 2024
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The only other president to be successfully impeached was Park Geun-hye, a conservative who left office in 2017 and was sentenced to 22 years in prison for a corruption scandal involving major corporations and the daughter of a cult leader.Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Coined as far back as 1854 by Henry David Thoreau in Walden, the idea of mental deterioration from trivial distractions has never been more relevant.Mark Travers, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
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Tedeschi credits Park Road with heroic work on the Maysles footage, which was delivered to them in various stages of deterioration.Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 5 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Red and declinations to rust and burgundy at Ferragamo and Bottega Veneta.WWD, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
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Thomas said the sheriff's office presented the case to the district attorney's office for declination purposes only because of Suff's prior convictions and death sentence.Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 15 Aug. 2024
Noun
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The decline may not seem like a lot, but even a small shift matters in close elections — especially in battleground states with large union memberships, such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2024
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The decline in childhood vaccination rates threaten herd immunity and will ultimately allow diseases that were thought to be eradicated to reappear.Omer Awan, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Between 5,000 and 8,000 men of African descent fought in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.Kinsey Gidick, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
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The results are also limited by the population studied, which is primarily of European descent, said Dr. Robert Eckel, professor emeritus of medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz medical campus and former president of the American Heart Association.Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
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For all its seriousness, there’s an archness and decadence to the whole affair.Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 15 Nov. 2024
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Some garments have high shine; others are more subtle in their decadence.Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 4 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Degeneracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/degeneracy. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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