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

“The upshot is that the ‘debasement’ theory looks like a misdiagnosis of the early-August to mid-October surge in the price of gold,” he added.

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Fearing currency erosion, many investors are making “debasement trades” by shifting from dollars to hard assets.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Hartnett stays long gold to hedge “the U.S. boom, the AI bubble, the dollar debasement risk and the asset price inflation” which stems from Fed and White House policy.

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The strategists do not believe all of that buying can be explained by this year’s popular debasement trade, which has seen investors turn to gold due to worries of a weakening dollar.

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That strategy, known as the debasement trade, is premised on the view that the U.S. dollar’s value is poised to deteriorate, prompting investors to rely on gold as an alternative asset.

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