devaluation

[ dee-val-yoo-ey-shuhn ]

noun

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

devaluation

1. 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 Words From

• mini·de·valu·ation noun
• postde·valu·ation adjective
• prede·valu·ation noun adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of devaluation¹

First recorded in 1910–15; devaluate + -ion

Example Sentences

"While it emphasises the unsung and vital presence of mothers, Nightbitch doesn't probe the broader societal devaluation that actually causes women to feel unfulfilled."

From BBC

This devaluation of nonwhite votes should not be surprising, since the Electoral College was one of the Constitution’s several accommodations for slavery, and later served as a perpetuation of Jim Crow.

From Slate

Some universities have also been affected by a currency devaluation in Nigeria.

From BBC

It comes as Nigeria and other countries in the Global South experience record inflation and currency devaluation, the union said.

From BBC

The Students’ Union accused the university of taking a “hostile approach” by threatening people from Nigeria, and other countries in the Global South experiencing record inflation and currency devaluation, with expulsion.

From BBC

Related Words

• decline
• decrease
• reduction
• weakening