Word
stagnation
Phoneticsstag·na·tion, stress on the second syllable
US/stæɡˈneɪʃən/
UK/stæɡnˈeɪʃən/
Definitions
01economic/social lack of growth
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Economics Academic
n. a long period where an economy or a society does not grow or improve.
n. a prolonged period of little or no growth in an economy or social system. Uncountable in its general sense.
“The country suffered from years of economic stagnation, with few new jobs created.”
“Economists warned that without significant structural reform, the nation faced a decade of stagnation and declining living standards.”
Synonyms
02still water or air
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Science Technical
n. when water or air stops moving and becomes dirty or smells bad.
n. the state of being still or not flowing, typically resulting in a lack of oxygen or the buildup of pollutants.
“The stagnation of the pond water led to a bad smell and lots of insects.”
“The lack of tidal flow caused significant stagnation in the lagoon, negatively impacting the local fish population.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage
Commonly used in economic and professional contexts; often paired with 'economic', 'cultural', or 'career'.
Real-World Examples
“The rule change comes amid wider stagnation across the UK online dating market.” “Three decades of wage stagnation and rising costs have made the category less secure – and membership of it worth considerably less than it once was.” Etymology
From stagnate + -ation (suffix denoting an action or process, or its result), Stagnate is derived from stagnāt-, the participial stem of Latin stagnāre, the present active infinitive of stāgnō (“of waters: to cover the land as a lake, to become a pool, to stagnate”), from stāgnum (“body of standing water (lake, swamp, etc.)”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂g- (“to drip; to seep”)) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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