decadence: Meaning and Definition of

dec•a•dence

Pronunciation: (dek'u-duns, di-kād'ns), [key]
— n.
  1. the act or process of falling into an inferior condition or state; deterioration; decay: Some historians hold that the fall of Rome can be attributed to internal decadence.
  2. moral degeneration or decay; turpitude.
  3. unrestrained or excessive self-indulgence.
  4. (often cap.) the decadent movement in literature.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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