Degradati

Degradati is the plural form of degradato in Italian, where the term broadly means “the degraded” and functions as both an adjective and a noun. It is used to describe something that has been diminished in quality, status, or condition, as well as people who have experienced a loss of rights, dignity, or standing.

Etymology and usage. The word derives from Latin degradatus, from degradare, meaning to lower or degrade. In Italian, degradato can describe physical, social, or moral decline (for example, a degraded area, degraded materials) and degradati can refer to those who have undergone degradation in status or treatment.

Legal, social, and historical contexts. In some legal or administrative traditions, a form of disciplinary action is called degradazione, which may result in removing an individual from a position or rank; persons subjected to such action can be described as degradati in historical or formal texts. In sociology and everyday speech, degradati may refer more loosely to people or groups perceived as oppressed, marginalized, or degraded by circumstances or institutions.

Science and environment. In scientific contexts, degradation is used to describe processes that break down substances or systems. The corresponding adjective degradato or the noun degradazione is more common in Italian than the plural degradati, but degradati can appear when discussing degraded samples or materials in plural form.

See also. Degradazione, degradato, degrado, degradation (in English). The term’s exact meaning depends on context, ranging from technical descriptions of material decline to references to social or legal status.