Vocabulary Builder — Essay & Answer Writing
Atrophy
noun/verb
/ AT-ruh-fee /
Medium
Meaning
Gradual decline or wasting away of something due to neglect, disuse, or lack of nourishment.
Origin / Etymology
Greek atrophia (wasting), from a- (without) + trophe (nourishment)
Synonyms
Decline
Deterioration
Wither
Antonyms
Growth
Flourish
Example Sentence
"Decades of under-investment and political interference caused the institutional atrophy of local self-government bodies, rendering the 73rd Amendment largely ineffective in practice."
🎯 UPSC Usage
Use in GS2 answers on governance and institutions when describing weakening of regulatory bodies, statutory commissions, or panchayati raj institutions due to neglect or political misuse. Also useful in GS4 Ethics essays on organisational decline.
Relevant Subjects