debasement

American  

[dih-beys-muhnt] / dɪˈbeɪs mənt /

noun

1. the act of reducing the quality or value of something.

   The moment any paper currency is firmly linked back to gold, the debasement of paper money stops.

2. the fact or state of being lowered in dignity, character, or importance.

   Rich and greedy, he chose debasement, disgrace, and dishonorable practices in order to get even richer.

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Other Word Forms

• self-debasement noun

Etymology

Origin of debasement

debase ( def. ) + -ment ( def. )

Example Sentences

Following gold’s recent trouncing of stocks, and fears of dollar debasement, was he wrong?

From The Wall Street Journal

Foreign central-bank buying — along with a drumbeat of calls for lower U.S. interest rates and the potential long-term debasement of the dollar — is “very hard to stop.”

From MarketWatch

The results cover a period when silver prices surged as investors piled into precious metals in the so-called debasement trade.

From Barron's

The results cover a period when silver prices surged as investors piled into precious metals in the so-called debasement trade.

From Barron's

Related concerns tied to dollar debasement, meanwhile, have amplified gains in precious metals and commodities, while triggering a meltdown in Bitcoin prices.

From Barron's