deterioration

Borrowed from French détérioration; morphologically deteriorate +‎ -ion.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dɪˌtɪəɹɪəˈɹeɪʃən/, (proscribed) /dɪˌtɪəɹɪˈeɪʃən/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /dəˌti.ɹi.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/, (proscribed) /dəˌtiɹiˈeɪʃən/
• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

deterioration (countable and uncountable, plural deteriorations)

1. The process of making or growing worse, or the state of having grown worse.

   Synonyms: aggravation, retrogression, worsening

   Antonym: amelioration

   • 1954 January, “Strengthening of Coquet Viaduct”, in Railway Magazine, page 18:

     From 1945 onwards, deterioration in the condition of the brickwork in the arch soffits was kept under close observation, and in 1951 it was decided that strengthening must be undertaken.

   • 2012 June 4, Lewis Smith, “Queen’s English Society says enuf is enough, innit?: Society formed 40 years ago to protect language against poor spelling and grammar closes because too few people care”, in The Guardian‎^[1], London, archived from the original on 10 March 2016:

     The Queen may be celebrating her jubilee but the Queen's English Society, which has railed against the misuse and deterioration of the English language, is to fold.

   • 2020 November 18, “Network News: Researchers team up on navigation data system”, in RAIL, page 23:

     "The quantum sensors will provide highly accurate measurements that will help to detect the rate of change of the track and subsequently, any deteriorations which might lead to faults."

   • 2025 September 16, “Can democracy survive without America?”, in The Hankyoreh‎^[2]:

     V-Dem lists the characteristics of autocratization as deteriorations in freedom of expression, the decline of free and fair elections, and the centralization of authority.

• deteriorate