Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “decadent” come from?

Decadent comes from French décadent, from French décadence, from Medieval Latin decadentia, from Latin decadens, the present participle of decadere, meaning to fall away or decline.

decadent (English): Characterized by moral or cultural decline;...

Definitions

  1. Characterized by moral or cultural decline;...

Ancestry of “decadent”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchdécadentdecadent; declining
2Frenchdécadencedecadence
3Medieval Latindecadentiadecay
4Latindēcadere—
5Latindēcīdō—
6Latindē-—
7Latindē—
8Latinpostbehind; after, since, besides, except; behind,...
9Latinposteablative singular of postis
10Proto-Italicposti—
11Proto-Indo-Europeanpósti—
12Proto-Indo-Europeanpósafterwards, post; by, at

Words derived from “decadent”

  • decadently
  • undecadent
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pós →