subsidence

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

1. An abatement in intensity or degree (as in the manifestations of a disease).

   his cancer is in remission

2. A gradual sinking to a lower level.
3. The sudden collapse of something into a hollow beneath it.