devaluation

American

[dee-val-yoo-ey-shuhn] / diˌvæl yuˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

an official lowering of the exchange value of a country's currency relative to gold or other currencies.
a reduction of a value, status, etc.

devaluation Cultural

A policy undertaken by a nation to reduce the value of its national currency either in relation to gold or in relation to the currencies of other nations.

Other Word Forms

minidevaluation noun
postdevaluation adjective
predevaluation noun

Etymology

Origin of devaluation

First recorded in 1910–15; devaluate + -ion

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.

The devaluation of that nuance is worse than the loss of any award.

From Salon • Mar. 11, 2026

In an address this week, Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah acknowledged that the devaluation had once again "put the burden on citizens".

From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026

Protests erupted in Iran last Sunday over inflation and currency devaluation, after the Iranian rial hit a record low against the US dollar.

From BBC • Jan. 3, 2026

“A combination of persistent inflation concerns, U.S. interest-rate cuts, fears surrounding dollar devaluation and substantial central-bank gold purchases continue to underpin prices,” he told MarketWatch by email.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 2, 2025

The 12 January 1994 devaluation of Franc Zone currencies by 50% resulted in inflation of 61% in 1994.

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