The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word DECADENCE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
D
E
C
A
D
E
N
C
E
More clues leading to the result DECADENCE
- Moral decline of 1960s for example initially narked church
- In ten years' time, he won't show depravity
- Oddly, does rhythm lead to corruption?
- Cultural decline in North Carolina initially evident after the 30’s for example
- Corruption is centre of concern after ten years
- Several years pleasant
- Corruption of French intonation
- The Roaring Twenties, say, not characterised essentially from the outset by decline
- After ten years, North Carolina finds energy to reveal corruption
- Nice to be rid of incompetent leader after ten years resulting in social decay
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The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does DECADENCE mean?
DECADENCE noun- A state of moral or artistic decline or deterioration; decay