Decadence Meaning
/ˈdɛkədəns/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA state of moral or artistic decline or deterioration; decay
nounThe quality of being luxuriously self-indulgent.
Sentence Examples
Mistaking cadenza with decadence would be a great mistake.
Modern dances? It's not dancing anymore, it's decadence.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The feast was criticized as sheer ____ during the famine.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Mistaking cadenza with ____ would be a great mistake.
Word Origin & History
From French décadence, from Medieval Latin decadentia (“decay”), from *decadens (“decaying”), present participle of *decadere (“to decay”); see decay.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
""Stability, however, is not enough. It leads too easily to stagnation, and thence to decadence.""
— 1956, Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars, page 35:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The feast was criticized as sheer ____ during the famine.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Mistaking cadenza with ____ would be a great mistake.