Becomes worse in quality or declines morally; or people considered morally corrupt (noun).
From Latin 'degenerare' (to fall below one's kind), combining 'de-' (down) and 'generare' (to produce). Originally meant to fail to live up to family/class standards.
The word originally had class connotations—meaning to fall below your noble birth or status—but now we use it more generally for any moral or physical decline.
Late-19th/early-20th century pseudoscience ('degeneration theory') branded poor, immigrant, and disabled populations—disproportionately women—as biologically inferior. The term enabled forced sterilization and eugenics targeting women's reproductive autonomy.
Use 'decline,' 'deteriorate,' or 'worsen' for material/physical decline. Avoid applying to people or groups entirely.
["declines","deteriorates","worsens"]
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