devaluation
Americannoun
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an official lowering of the exchange value of a country's currency relative to gold or other currencies.
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a reduction of a value, status, etc.
noun
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a decrease in the exchange value of a currency against gold or other currencies, brought about by a government Compare depreciation
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a reduction in value, status, importance, etc
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of devaluation
Explanation
Devaluation is when the worth of something is underestimated. If nobody appreciates your corny jokes, you might say, "The devaluation of humor in this family is truly tragic!" You can use the word devaluation for anything that isn't fully appreciated or valued, but it's more often used in an economic context. When a government deliberately lowers the value of its currency, as it compares to other countries, that's devaluation. It's one way to lower the cost of exporting goods, and it sometimes helps repair an ailing economy. Devaluation comes from value, "worth or price," and its Latin source, valere, "be strong."
Vocabulary lists containing devaluation
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.
Devaluation of points and rewards can sometimes be tricky to detect.
From Washington Post • Oct. 11, 2022
This is not to say UCB is responsible for issues across the industry but that it has a normalization effect: Devaluation at the ground floor, for instance, acclimates workers to devaluation elsewhere.
From Slate • Jun. 21, 2019
Devaluation of the yuan would thus harm America’s return to full employment but “usually a recession takes sharply higher interest rates or a financial crash.”
From US News • Jan. 7, 2016
Devaluation made exports cheaper and imports more expensive.
From New York Times • Jul. 3, 2015
Devaluation of its Francophone currency by 50% on 12 January 1994 sparked a one-time inflationary surge, to 35%; the rate dropped to 15% in 1995.
From The 1996 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency
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.
