depreciate

verb

de·​pre·​ci·​ate di-ˈprē-shē-ˌāt How to pronounce depreciate (audio)
depreciated; depreciating

transitive verb

1
: to lower in honor or esteem
often depreciates the importance of her work
2
a
: to lower the price or estimated value of
depreciate property
b
: to deduct from taxable income a portion of the original cost of (a business asset) over several years as the value of the asset decreases

intransitive verb

: to fall in value
advised us to sell the stock before it depreciates
depreciable adjective
depreciatingly adverb
depreciation noun
depreciative
di-ˈprē-shə-tiv How to pronounce depreciate (audio)
-shē-ˌā-tiv
adjective
depreciator noun
depreciatory adjective
Choose the Right Synonym for depreciate

decry, depreciate, disparage, belittle mean to express a low opinion of.

decry implies open condemnation with intent to discredit.

decried their defeatist attitude

depreciate implies a representing as being of less value than commonly believed.

critics depreciate his plays for being unabashedly sentimental

disparage implies depreciation by indirect means such as slighting or invidious comparison.

disparaged polo as a game for the rich

belittle usually suggests a contemptuous or envious attitude.

belittled the achievements of others

Examples of depreciate in a Sentence

These changes have greatly depreciated the value of the house. The value of the house has depreciated greatly.
Recent Examples on the Web Effort also goes into depreciating the worst of the training data. Jaron Lanier, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2024 When the government last year banned Apple’s iPhone 14 and 15 from the Islamic Republic, the ban spurred a parallel economy for the older handsets, jacking up prices for the devices as many sought to put their depreciating Iranian rials into any physical commodity. Nasser Karimi, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Feb. 2024 Its supporting role as a hedge against inflation and economic volatility has stimulated the interest of investors worldwide, positioning it as a formidable alternative to depreciating fiat currencies. Susie Violet Ward, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 The dollar depreciated fast vis-à-vis gold, as anticipated, but curiously that was the moment the dollar regained its mojo. Yanis Varoufakis, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2024 Under ongoing trends—assuming that the world continues depreciating old reactors and building new ones at today’s sluggish pace—the IAEA estimates that nuclear capacity will rise to 458 GW. IEEE Spectrum, 23 Jan. 2024 Even in the simple car example, what if your brother-in-law has already filed his 2011 tax return before the rescission, perhaps even depreciating or writing off the car? Robert W. Wood, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 Amounts owed to boxers do not gain interest or adjust for inflation once a fighter is eligible at age 50, meaning the value depreciates over time. Melody Gutierrez, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2023 Electric vehicles have depreciated in value more in a five-year span than other major vehicle types, but all vehicle types have been able to hold their value better than four years ago, according to a new report. Jack Birle, Washington Examiner, 11 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'depreciate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin depretiatus, past participle of depretiare, from Latin de- + pretium price — more at price entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of depreciate was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near depreciate

Cite this Entry

“Depreciate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depreciate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

depreciate

verb
de·​pre·​ci·​ate di-ˈprē-shē-ˌāt How to pronounce depreciate (audio)
depreciated; depreciating
1
: to lower the price or value of
depreciate the currency
2
: to represent as of little value : disparage
3
: to fall in value
new cars depreciate rapidly
depreciative
-ˈprē-shət-iv
-shē-ˌāt-iv
adjective
depreciatory adjective

Legal Definition

depreciate

verb
de·​pre·​ci·​ate di-ˈprē-shē-ˌāt How to pronounce depreciate (audio)
depreciated; depreciating

transitive verb

: to subject to depreciation : lower the value of

intransitive verb

: to fall in value compare appreciate

More from Merriam-Webster on depreciate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!