devaluation

[dee-val-yoo-ey-shuhn]

noun

1. an official lowering of the exchange value of a country's currency relative to gold or other currencies.

2. a reduction of a value, status, etc.

devaluation

1. A policy undertaken by a nation to reduce the value of its national currency either in relation to gold or in relation to the currencies of other nations.

Other Word Forms

• minidevaluation noun
• postdevaluation adjective
• predevaluation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of devaluation¹

First recorded in 1910–15; devaluate + -ion

Example Sentences

“Neighbors feared crime, blight and property devaluation. But when they saw what we designed — colorful, open, safe, full of life — many opponents became supporters.”

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It’s also the kind of series award show voters love: a satire about the inner workings of the entertainment industry that calls attention to its devaluation of genuine art and original concepts.

Read more on Salon

She made her abrasiveness essential in an industry that devalued her and women in general; she also participated in that devaluation.

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The SWA said it would respond formally to the Defra consultation "to robustly defend against any devaluation of the single malt category".

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It could also lead to a devaluation of the Canadian dollar at a time when the currency is already struggling due to domestic economic factors, he said.

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Related Words

• decline 
• decrease 
• reduction 
• weakening www.thesaurus.com