downward drift

noun

The phenomenon of people with mental illness moving ever downward along the social and economic scale after they reach adulthood and live independently.

“Yesterday saw a downward drift in share prices and an upward surge in commodities.”

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Meanings

noundownward drift (uncountable)
  1. uncountablehuman sciencesThe phenomenon of people with mental illness moving ever downward along the social and economic scale after they reach adulthood and live independently.
  2. uncountableUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see downward, drift.

    Yesterday saw a downward drift in share prices and an upward surge in commodities.

Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: downward drift on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.