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degenerate

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Degenerate is defined as a person who is immoral, corrupt or sexually perverted.

(noun)

An example of a degenerate is a thief.

The definition of degenerate is someone or something that has lost their former good character or morality.

(adjective)

An example of something that would be described as degenerate is an immoral society.

See degenerate in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective

having sunk below a former or normal condition, character, etc.; deteriorated
morally corrupt; depraved

Origin: L degeneratus, pp. of degenerare, to become unlike one's race, degenerate < degener, not genuine, base < de-, from + genus, race: see genus

noun

a degenerate person, esp. one who is morally depraved or sexually perverted

intransitive verb degenerated, degenerating

to lose former normal or higher qualities
to decline or become debased morally, culturally, etc.
Biol. to undergo degeneration; deteriorate

Related Forms:

degenerately adverb
degenerateness noun

See degenerate in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective

Having declined, as in function or nature, from a former or original state: a degenerate form of an ancient folk art.
Having fallen to an inferior or undesirable state, especially in mental or moral qualities.
Physics Relating to two or more quantum states that share the same quantum numbers: degenerate energy levels.
Physics Characterized by great density and consisting of atoms stripped of electrons: degenerate matter.
Medicine Characterized by degeneration, as of tissue, a cell, or an organ.
Biology Having lost one or more highly developed functions, characteristics, or structures through evolution: a degenerate life form.
Genetics Having more than one codon that may code for the same amino acid.

noun

A depraved, corrupt, or vicious person.
A person lacking or having progressively lost normative biological or psychological characteristics.

intransitive verb (-ə-rātˌ) de·gen·er·at·ed, de·gen·er·at·ing, de·gen·er·ates

To fall below a normal or desirable state, especially functionally or morally; deteriorate: old water pipes that are degenerating with age; a dispute that degenerated into a brawl.
To decline in quality: The quality of his writing degenerated as he continued to drink.
To undergo degeneration.

Origin:

Origin: Latin dēgenerātus

Origin: , past participle of dēgenerāre, to depart from one's own kind, deteriorate

Origin: : dē-, de-

Origin: + genus, gener-, race; see genə- in Indo-European roots

Related Forms: