Decadent
/ˈdɛk.ə.dənt/noun
Marked by self-indulgence, moral decline, or a state of decay.
Did you know?Its root is the Latin verb *cadere*, “to fall,” the same ancient source behind words like *cascade* and *chancel* — so decadence began as a language of descent, not dessert.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱad-
“to fall”
Latin
Latin
cadere
“to fall”
Latin
Latin
decadere
“to fall away, decline, deteriorate”
Old French
Old French
decadent
“decaying, declining”
Late 16th Century
English
decadent
“in a state of decline or decay”
19th Century
English
decadent
“associated with artistic or moral decline; later, luxurious or self-indulgent”