degeneration

noun ! Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about degeneration at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

1. The process of declining from a higher to a lower level of effective power or vitality or essential quality.
2. The state of being degenerate in mental or moral qualities.
3. Passing from a more complex to a simpler biological form.