Showing the beginning stages of decay or decline; becoming decadent.
From Latin 'decadere' (to fall away) + '-escent' (suffix meaning 'beginning to become'). This adjective describes something in the process of becoming decadent, using the '-escent' suffix that indicates gradual change or emerging qualities.
The '-escent' suffix is fascinating—it appears in words like 'adolescent' and 'iridescent,' always suggesting something in transition; a 'decadescent' empire isn't quite fallen yet, but the decline is definitely underway.
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