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