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n. 1. The process or condition of worsening or degenerating. 2. Linguistics The process by which the meaning of a word becomes negative or disparaging over a period of time, as silly, from Middle English seely, "blessed, innocent," has come to mean "showing a lack of good sense, frivolous." [Medieval Latin pēiōrātiō, pēiōrātiōn-, from Late Latin pēiōrātus, past participle of pēiōrāre, to make worse, from Latin pēior, worse; see ped- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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