de-gradational

deg·ra·da·tion

[deg-ruh-dey-shuhn]
noun
1.
the act of degrading.
2.
the state of being degraded.
3.
Physical Geography. the wearing down of the land by the erosive action of water, wind, or ice.
4.
Chemistry. the breakdown of an organic compound.
Origin:
1525–35; < Late Latin dēgradātiōn- (stem of dēgradātiō), equivalent to dēgradāt(us) (past participle of dēgradāre to degrade) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms
deg·ra·da·tion·al, adjective
deg·ra·da·tive, adjective
an·ti·deg·ra·da·tion, adjective
non·deg·ra·da·tion, noun
self-deg·ra·da·tion, noun

Synonyms
2. humiliation, disgrace, dishonor, debasement.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
degradation (ˌdɛɡrəˈdeɪʃən) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  the act of degrading or the state of being degraded
2.  a state of degeneration, squalor, or poverty
3.  some act, constraint, etc, that is degrading
4.  the wearing down of the surface of rocks, cliffs, etc, by erosion, weathering, or some other process
5.  chem a breakdown of a molecule into atoms or smaller molecules
6.  physics an irreversible process in which the energy available to do work is decreased
7.  RC Church the permanent unfrocking of a priest

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

degradation
1530s, from Fr. dégradation (14c.), from M.L. degradationem, noun of action from degradare (see degrade).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

degradation deg·ra·da·tion (děg'rə-dā'shən)
n.
Progressive decomposition of a chemical compound into a less complex compound.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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