- (a.) Having become worse than one's kind or one's former state; having declined in worth; having lost in goodness; deteriorated; degraded; unworthy; base; low.
- (v.i.) To be or grow worse than one's kind or than one was originally; hence, to be inferior; to grow poorer, meaner or more vicious; to decline in good qualities; to deteriorate.
- (v.i.) To fall off from the normal quality or the healthy structure of its kind; to become of a lower type.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). degenerate. Retrieved September 23, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/degenerate/definitions/1995474 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "degenerate" http://smartdefine.org/degenerate/definitions/1995474 (accessed September 23, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, degenerate, Smart Define, viewed 23 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/degenerate/definitions/1995474>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "degenerate" 27 May 2011. Web. 23 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/degenerate/definitions/1995474> |