Final answer:
Malacia is the term used in medicine to describe abnormal softening, which can occur in various body parts or organs.
Step-by-step explanation:
Abnormal Softening in Medicine
In medicine, the term for abnormal softening is called malacia. It is often used as a combining form with other words to describe softening of specific body parts or organs.
For example, osteomalacia refers to abnormal softening of the bones, while encephalomalacia refers to abnormal softening of the brain tissue.
Abnormal softening can have various causes, including nutritional deficiencies, infections, trauma, or certain diseases.