debasement

[dih-beys-muhnt]

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.

Other Word Forms

• self-debasement noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of debasement¹

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

Example Sentences

But gold may be signaling a different type of crisis, one in which “global government debt levels are unsustainable, and the only way out may be currency debasement and/or inflation,” he said.

Read more on MarketWatch

Bitcoin and other cryptos have benefited from the so-called “debasement trade,” in which assets such as Bitcoin and gold gain value as fiat currencies weaken.

Read more on Barron's

Wall Street has dubbed it the “debasement trade.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Investors worried about the future of the dollar and other major currencies are piling into gold, bitcoin and other alternative assets, powering what has become known on Wall Street as the debasement trade.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Some analysts have dubbed the recent investor rush into gold and bitcoin as a “debasement trade,” driven by a desire to hedge against the perceived long-term erosion of major currencies by buying non-fiat assets.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal