degeneracy

From degenerate +‎ -cy.

• (Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /dɪˈd͡ʒɛnəɹəsi/, /dɪˈd͡ʒɛnɹəsi/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /dɪˈd͡ʒenəɹəsi/

degeneracy (countable and uncountable, plural degeneracies)

1. The state of being degenerate (in all senses).
   • 1800, Vicesimus Knox, “Essay XIV (On Novel reading)”, in Essays Moral and Literary, volume I, page 100:

     If it be true, that the preſent age is more corrupt, than the preceding, the great multiplication of Novels has probably contributed to its degeneracy.

   • 1893, Circulars of Information of the Bureau of Education, United States. Office of Education, page 133:

     Inveterate abuse of drinking in nonhereditarily disposed persons creates a degeneracy like the hereditary.

2. (neuroscience) The ability of one part of the brain to take over another's function without being overexerted.

   Coordinate term: compensation

3. (mathematics) A limiting case of a class of objects which appears to be qualitatively different from (and usually simpler than) the rest of the class.