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.
Other experts say that mobile and manufactured homes depreciate over time, especially if they are located on rented land.
From MarketWatch
“If it doesn’t pan out, we have just plunked down a lot of money on the table that depreciates really quickly. And the clock is ticking.”
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.
As the car gets older, its value depreciates — leading to borrowers paying more than the market value of their vehicle.
From MarketWatch
That strategy meant significant upfront costs and, now, depreciating assets.
From Barron's
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.
