debasement
Americannoun
-
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.
-
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
Etymology
Origin of debasement
Explanation
Debasement is the process of spoiling something or reducing its value by combining it with another material. Debasement can also refer to degrading or disgracing someone. The noun debasement can be used in an economic context to mean "lower the value of currency or money," usually referring to coins made of gold or silver that has been mixed with cheaper metals. In the old days, debasement generally meant the removal of someone's knighthood: "The knight's treasonous actions meant certain debasement by the king." Today you might hear someone complain about the debasement of politics caused by big money.
Vocabulary lists containing debasement
"Politics and the English Language" by George Orwell
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The Nickel Boys
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Circe
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While higher rates could hit gold prices, the downside looks limited as the debasement trade continues to attract investor buying, ANZ analysts write.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Bitcoin hit $80,000 for the first time since May, reversing months of subdued valuations as fresh investor interest in the so-called debasement trade brought growing support for the cryptocurrency as a dollar hedge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Bigger buybacks of longer-dated Treasurys came as a “shock” to the market and helped to reignite the dollar debasement trade, Coltman said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026
As investors processed the intervention, they dumped the dollar in favor of gold and cryptocurrencies in a so-called debasement trade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
When other entrepreneurs created jukeboxes by arranging for a phonograph to play popular music at the drop of a coin, Edison objected to this debasement, which apparently detracted from serious office use of his invention.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
