1. plural of effeteness; the quality or state of being effete; exhaustion of vigor, vitality, or effectiveness
Usage: formal; typically used in abstract or critical contexts

Examples

• The critic attributed the effetenesses of late imperial Rome to moral decay and military overextension.
• Some scholars debate whether the effetenesses of certain artistic movements reflect genuine cultural decline or merely changing tastes.
• The novel explores the effetenesses of the aristocracy through its portrayal of idle, purposeless characters.
• Historical accounts often emphasize the effetenesses that preceded the empire's collapse.
• The effetenesses evident in the institution's leadership made reform increasingly urgent.