degrade gracefully

verb

Of a system: to maintain at least some of its functionality when portions are not working, or when certain features are not available.

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Meanings

verbdegrade gracefully (third-person singular simple present degrades gracefully, present participle degrading gracefully, simple past and past participle degraded gracefully)

present singular third person degrades gracefully · participle present degrading gracefully · participle past degraded gracefully · past degraded gracefully

  1. idiomaticcomputingOf a system: to maintain at least some of its functionality when portions are not working, or when certain features are not available.
Cite this entry
APA

degrade gracefully. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/degrade%20gracefully

MLA

“degrade gracefully.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/degrade%20gracefully. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “degrade gracefully,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/degrade%20gracefully.

Source: degrade gracefully on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.