deterior-, deteriorat- +

Dementia occurring with people who are chronically addicted to alcohol: "The doctor explained the patient's condition was called alcoholic deterioration which has resulted in a severe decline of normal mental abilities."

"Dementia that is caused by alcoholic deterioration is an organic mental disorder characterized by a general loss of intellectual abilities involving the impairment of memory, judgment, and abstract thinking; as well as, changes in personality."

Desire persuades me one way, reason another. I see the better and approve it, but I follow the worse.

From Publius Ovidius Naso (43 B.C. - c. A.D. 17).

The breakdown of materials by microbial action: "Biodeterioration is a description of organic compounds that are able to be decomposed by bacteria and other micro-organisms; such as, the constituents of sewage, as compared with non-biodeteriorable compounds; such as, most plastics."

1. To become or to make something worse in quality, value, or strength: "The prolonged illness caused the father’s muscle strength to deteriorate and to become weaker."

"The air quality in this area has deteriorated these last few days."

2. To diminish or to impair in quality, character, or value: "The daughter's friend explained that because his car was so old, the resale value had significantly deteriorated."
3. To grow worse in function or condition; to degenerate: "The condition of the neighbor's house was deteriorating as a result of so much exposure to the weather that caused the sides of the house to warping and the paint to peel off."

"The patient's physical condition has deteriorated since the operation was performed last week."

4. To weaken or to disintegrate; to decay: "We left the pile of leaves in the compost to deteriorate and to become fertilizer for the garden in the spring."

1. A gradual decline, as in quality, serviceability, or vigor: "The mother noticed a gradual deterioration and change in the health of her friend because of her illness and prolonged stay in the hospital."
2. The process of becoming worse: "His aunt stated that she was very concerned that the quality of service at the hotel was suffering a deterioration and changing for the worse."
3. In psychiatry, progressive impairment in mental functioning without the implication of irreversibility: "Due to her chronic alcoholism, the doctors indicated that her mental deterioration was permanent and there was no hope of recovery."
4. Depreciation or loss of value of real property due to physical wear and tear: "The value of the riverside property suffered significant deterioration as a result of the recurring flood pattern of the river."
5. Etymology: "To make worse, to become worse"; from Late Latin deterioratus, the past participle of deteriorare, "to make worse" which came from Latin deterior, "lower, inferior, worse, meaner".

Impairment of the ability to maintain one's level of concentration despite apparent desire to do so and a lack of competing thoughts that explain ordinary inattentiveness: "The patient in the nursing home appeared to be suffering from a deterioration of attention which was revealed when she would struggle to concentrate and was unable to do it."

Worse state or quality; inferiority: "The deteriority of the educational system was deplored by the parents who were concerned about the decline in the quality of education."

The clinical picture in which a psychotic patient becomes apathetic and shows a loss of interest in his appearance, environment, and social adjustment: "The emotional deterioration of the patient’s condition was dramatic as she showed no interest in her appearance, etc."

A slowly progressing decline in physical and mental health, apparently as a result of natural causes resulting from the processes of aging: "The woman was worried about the senile deterioration of her neighbor who was almost 90 years old and was no longer able to swim 30 laps in the pool every day as she did in previous years."

"The man's neighbor, who was 85 and formerly an Olympic swimmer, apologized because he figured that his senile deterioration was limiting him to swim 29 laps while the younger neighbor, who is 55 years old, thought he was doing pretty good when he could swim nine laps."