decadence

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dec·a·dence

 (dĕk′ə-dəns, dĭ-kād′ns)
n.
1. A process, condition, or period of deterioration or decline, as in morals or art; decay.
2. often Decadence A literary movement especially of late 19th-century France and England characterized by refined aestheticism, artifice, and the quest for new sensations.
[French décadence, from Old French decadence, from Medieval Latin dēcadentia, a decaying, declining, from Vulgar Latin *dēcadere, to decay; see decay.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

decadence

(ˈdɛkədəns) or

decadency

n
1. deterioration, esp of morality or culture; decay; degeneration
2. the state reached through such a process
[C16: from French, from Medieval Latin dēcadentia, literally: a falling away; see decay]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

dec•a•dence

(ˈdɛk ə dəns, dɪˈkeɪd ns)

also dec•a•den•cy

(ˈdɛk ə dən si, dɪˈkeɪd n-)

n.
1. the act or process of falling into decay; deterioration.
2. moral degeneration.
[1540–50; < Middle French < Medieval Latin dēcadentia= Late Latin dēcadent-, s. of dēcadēns, present participle of dēcadere to fall away]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Decadence

 

bread and circuses Free food and entertainment, particularly that which a government provides in order to appease the common people. Such is reputed to bring about a civilization’s decline by undermining the initiative of the populace, and the term has come to mean collective degeneration or debauchery. According to Juvenal’s Satires, panem et circenses were the two things most coveted by the Roman people. Bread and Circuses was the title of a book by H. P. Eden (1914). Rudyard Kipling used the expression in Debits and Credits (1924):

Rome has always debauched her beloved Provincia with bread and circuses.

the primrose path The route of pleasure and decadence; a frivolous, self-indulgent life. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth the drunken porter, playing at being the tender of Hell gate, says:

I had thought to have let in some of all professions that go the primrose way to the everlasting bonfire. (II, iii)

The expression connotes a colorful, blossomy course of luxury and ease, but as commonly used also includes the implication that such a carefree, self-gratifying life cannot be enjoyed without paying a price.

Never to sell his soul by travelling the primrose path to wealth and distinction. (James A. Froude, Thomas Carlyle, 1882)

wine and roses Wanton decadence and luxury; indulgence in pleasure and promiscuity; la dolce vita. This expression, often extended to days of wine and roses, alludes to the opulence as well as the depravity of the primrose path. The longer expression was popularized by an early 1960s film and song so entitled.

Picturesque Expressions: A Thematic Dictionary, 1st Edition. © 1980 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.decadence - the state of being degenerate in mental or moral qualities
decadency, degeneracy, degeneration
abasement, abjection, degradation - a low or downcast state; "each confession brought her into an attitude of abasement"- H.L.Menchken
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

decadence

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

decadence

noun
Descent to a lower level or condition:
atrophy, declension, declination, decline, degeneracy, degeneration, deterioration.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
إنْحِطاط أخلاقإنْحِطاط، إنْحِلال
chátráníúpadek
dekadence
dekadenssi
hnignun, úrkynjunspilling
dekadansasmoralinis nuopolisnedorovingumaspagedęspuolęs
dekadence
ahlâkî çöküntüçökmeçöküşsefahat

decadence

[ˈdekədəns] N → decadencia f
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

decadence

[ˈdɛkədəns] n → décadence f
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

decadence

n → Dekadenz f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

decadence

[ˈdɛkəd/əns] n → decadenza
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

decadence

(ˈdekədəns) noun
1. a falling from high to low standards in morals or the arts. the decadence of the late Roman empire.
2. the state of having low or incorrect standards of behaviour; immorality. He lived a life of decadence.
ˈdecadent adjective
a decadent young man.
decadence ends in -ence (not -ance).
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
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References in periodicals archive ?
EVENTS DECADANCE Today at 7pm at Aberdeen Arts Centre, King Street, Aberdeen.
YOUR GUIDE TO WHAT'S GOING ON Events
Tutus Dance School presents Decadance. A selection of imaginative ballet and tap routines from through the decades, 7pm.
LISTINGS
The designer, who once said no woman should deprive herself of colour, brought it - and decadance - back to fashion after the end of World War II.
The man who showed Scotland how to dream in colour again; HOW FRENCH DESIGNER SHOOK UP THE DRABWORLD OF BRITISH POST-WAR FASHION; Dior's Gleneagles triumph at exhibition's heart
In 2009 she became a member of the hip-hop theatrical company Decadance Theatre, as part of which she has toured America, Britain and Russia.
Rhythm of City of Dreams brought to stage
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago returns to the work of Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin by performing revised takes on his famous works "Minus 16" and "Decadance" starting Thursday at Millennium Park's Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E.
Sunday picks: Angela Ingersoll croons as Judy Garland at Paramount
"Decadance is pretty much a marathon, and the new piece Venezuela is such crazy cardio I nearly had an asthma attack!" says Smith.
Amalia Smith: The Batsheva dancer finds a benefit to a softer body
GIVE a functional space a touch of glam with glass candlesticks and a ribbed bottle to add a feeling of decadance.
BATHED in luxury; LIVINGNOTES A room lacking natural light is the perfect setting for a dark and moody bathroom Helios Sunburst
Ffilm am y chwalfa anochel sy'n wynebu'r gorllewin yn sgil anghyfartaledd eithafol cymdeithas ac sy'n ein hatgoffa fod y byd yma ry'n ni'n byw ynddo'n ymdebygu i gyfnod terfynol yr ymerodraeth Rufeinig ("the age of decadance", medden nhw.) Byddai Juvenal, y dychanwr craff a gyfeiriodd at y tueddiad i roi bara a syrcas i'r werin yn oes y Rhufeiniaid yn chwerthin wrth astudio pecyn cyflog diweddaraf Wayne Rooney (PS300,000 yr wythnos).
GAIR I GALL
Hip-hop crew Decadance will be in town on Tuesday presenting a triple bill performance.
Hip-hop, Mozart and songs from Dolly; Theatre round-up
QHA will host New York-based all female hip-hop dance sensation Decadance. [bar] There is also music from folk/bluegrass outfit Southern Tenant Folk Union, traditional music from The Shee, jazz from Paul Edis & John Law and a tribute to the Rolling Stones with The Stones.
Quality shines in new season
One of the main fashion themes for AW12 is decadance and opulence and it doesn't get more decadent and opulent than gold.
GET READY FOR THE GOLD RUSH; northernfashion
As a teenager, he tried his hand as a DJ in his local clubs, including Green Velvet, Moody, Decadance, T-Quest, Groove City, Kozzmozz and Montuno Vibes and also on radio station Studio Brussels' Mixomatose show.
Retro sounds at Cocoon gig

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