decadence
Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word decadence. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word decadence, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say decadence in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word decadence you have here. The definition of the word decadence will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofdecadence, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: décadence
English
Etymology
From French décadence, from Medieval Latin decadentia (“decay”), from *decadens (“decaying”), present participle of *decadere (“to decay”); see decay.
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈdɛkədəns/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
Noun
decadence (countable and uncountable, plural decadences)
- A state of moral or artistic decline or deterioration; decay
- 1956, Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars, page 35:
- "Stability, however, is not enough. It leads too easily to stagnation, and thence to decadence."
- The quality of being luxuriously self-indulgent.
- the decadence of a five-star hotel
Related terms
Translations
state of moral or artistic decline or deterioration
|
Further reading
- “decadence”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
- “decadence”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “decadence”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.