depreciate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to reduce the purchasing value of (money).
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to lessen the value or price of.
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to claim depreciation on (a property) for tax purposes.
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to represent as of little value or merit; belittle.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to reduce or decline in value or price
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(tr) to lessen the value of by derision, criticism, etc; disparage
Commonly Confused
See deprecate
Other Word Forms
- depreciatingly adverb
- depreciator noun
- depreciatory adjective
- nondepreciating adjective
- predepreciate verb
- redepreciate verb
- undepreciated adjective
- underdepreciate verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of depreciate
First recorded in 1640–50; from Late Latin dēpretiātus “undervalued” (past participle of dēpretiāre; in Medieval Latin spelling dēpreciāre ), equivalent to Latin dē- “away from, out of” + preti(um) “price” + -ātus past participle suffix; de-, price, -ate 1
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.
And they buy their baby stuff secondhand, as these goods depreciate faster than clothing, cars and electronics, they note.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 14, 2026
The catch: They generally don’t break out the costs for each, nor are they required to do so, despite the vastly different time periods in which facilities and chips depreciate.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025
Instead companies depreciate these large costs over time, which is what gets counted in the income statement.
From Barron's • Oct. 31, 2025
They were luxury items that would not depreciate, but instead act as a "store of wealth", Judge Mills said.
From BBC • May 19, 2025
You will perceive there is another case for Lord Biddulph seeking to depreciate my husband.
From The Sylph, Volume I and II by Cavendish, Georgiana
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.
