depreciate

[dih-pree-shee-eyt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR depreciate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), de·pre·ci·at·ed, de·pre·ci·at·ing.

to reduce the purchasing value of (money).

to lessen the value or price of.

to claim depreciation on (a property) for tax purposes.

to represent as of little value or merit; belittle.

verb (used without object), de·pre·ci·at·ed, de·pre·ci·at·ing.

to decline in value.

Origin of depreciate

1640–50; < Late Latin dēpretiātus undervalued (past participle of dēpretiāre, in Medieval Latin spelling dēpreciāre), equivalent to Latin dē- de- + preti(um) price + -ātus -ate¹

Related formsde·pre·ci·at·ing·ly, adverbde·pre·ci·a·tor, nounnon·de·pre·ci·at·ing, adjectivepre·de·pre·ci·ate, verb, pre·de·pre·ci·at·ed, pre·de·pre·ci·at·ing.re·de·pre·ci·ate, verb, re·de·pre·ci·at·ed, re·de·pre·ci·at·ing.un·de·pre·ci·at·ed, adjectiveun·der·de·pre·ci·ate, verb (used with object), un·der·de·pre·ci·at·ed, un·der·de·pre·ci·at·ing.

Can be confuseddeprecate depreciate (see usage note at deprecate)

Synonyms for depreciate

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR depreciate ON THESAURUS.COM

4. disparage, decry, minimize.

Usage note

4. See deprecate.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for depreciate

depress, lower, erode, undervalue, dwindle, lessen, soften, worsen, decrease, diminish, deteriorate, decay, drop, reduce, deflate, decry, cheapen, underrate, abate, fall

Examples from the Web for depreciate

Contemporary Examples of depreciate

That statement, simply put, means Beijing might actually try to depreciate its currency.
China's Currency Ploy
Gordon G. Chang
June 21, 2010
In the first place, there is no truth to the myth that Negroes depreciate property.
Alex Haley’s 1965 Playboy Interview with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Alex Haley
January 19, 2014

Historical Examples of depreciate

I do not wish from what I have said to depreciate confidence, so necessary to man.
Reflections
Francois Duc De La Rochefoucauld
Far be it from me, Sir, to depreciate merit so extraordinary.
Clarissa, Volume 3 (of 9)
Samuel Richardson
He too will be apt to depreciate their application to the arts.
The Republic
Plato
It is no compliment to the Creator to depreciate His handiwork.
The Stark Munro Letters
J. Stark Munro
It has been usual to depreciate modern languages when compared with ancient.
Cratylus
Plato

British Dictionary definitions for depreciate

depreciate

verb

to reduce or decline in value or price

(tr) to lessen the value of by derision, criticism, etc; disparage

Derived Formsdepreciatingly, adverbdepreciator, noundepreciatory (dɪˈpriːʃɪətərɪ, -trɪ) or depreciative, adjective

Word Origin for depreciate

C15: from Late Latin dēpretiāre to lower the price of, from Latin de- + pretium price

confusable

Avoid confusion with deprecate

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for depreciate

mid-15c., from Latin depretiatus, past participle of depretiare "to lower the price of, undervalue," from de- "down" (see de-) + pretium "price" (see price (n.)). Related: Depreciated; depreciating; depreciatory.