degeneracy

2 definitions found

degeneracy - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Degeneracy \De*gen"er*a*cy\, n. [From Degenerate, a.]
     1. The act of becoming degenerate; a growing worse.
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              Willful degeneracy from goodness.     --Tillotson.
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     2. The state of having become degenerate; decline in good
        qualities; deterioration; meanness.
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              Degeneracy of spirit in a state of slavery.
                                                    --Addison.
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              To recover mankind out of their universal corruption
              and degeneracy.                       --S. Clarke.
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degeneracy - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  degeneracy
      n 1: the state of being degenerate in mental or moral qualities
           [syn: degeneracy, degeneration, decadence,
           decadency]
      2: moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles;
         "the luxury and corruption among the upper classes"; "moral
         degeneracy followed intellectual degeneration"; "its
         brothels, its opium parlors, its depravity"; "Rome had fallen
         into moral putrefaction" [syn: corruption, degeneracy,
         depravation, depravity, putrefaction]