deterioration

From French détérioration.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dɪˌtɪəɹɪəˈɹeɪʃən/
• (US) IPA^(key): /dɪˌtiː.ɹi.ɔˈɹeɪ.ʃən/
• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

deterioration (countable and uncountable, plural deteriorations)

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

   Synonym: retrogression

   Antonym: amelioration

   • 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, 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.

• deteriorate