deprecate

verb

dep·​re·​cate ˈde-pri-ˌkāt How to pronounce deprecate (audio)
deprecated; deprecating; deprecates

transitive verb

1
: to express disapproval of
deprecates such attempts at humor
2
a
: play down : make little of
speaks five languages … but deprecates this facilityTime
b
: belittle, disparage
the most reluctantly admired and least easily deprecated of … novelistsNew Yorker
3
: to withdraw official support for or discourage the use of (something, such as a software product) in favor of a newer or better alternative
… the Google Drive app for PC and Mac is officially being deprecated and the company's developers announced in a blog post that it will no longer be supported starting December 11. Instead, you'll need to choose from one of two new apps.Rhett Jones
In the case of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, Microsoft is deprecating and removing more than 20 features.Mauro Huculak
4
a
: to seek to avert
deprecate the wrath … of the Roman peopleTobias Smollett
b
archaic : to pray against (something, such as an evil)
deprecation noun

Examples of deprecate in a Sentence

movie critics tried to outdo one another in deprecating the comedy as the stupidest movie of the year deprecates TV sitcoms as childish and simpleminded
Recent Examples on the Web In person, and via Zoom, Taylor is warm, deprecating, eloquent company. Hazlitt, 31 May 2023 The change comes a few days before Twitter plans to deprecate the old API tiers that allowed third-party apps and services to post to Twitter and access its data. Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 20 Apr. 2023 Now that games are (thankfully) being deprecated, Google has put a News tile on my interface. Nathan Edwards, The Verge, 8 May 2023 Enlarge Getty Images | Yuichiro Chino Further Reading Electronic Frontier Foundation will deprecate HTTPS Everywhere plugin One of the biggest advances in web security over the last decade or so is the proliferation of secure, encrypted HTTPS connections. Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 3 May 2023 Where credit is deprecated, because everyone is an interchangeable part. Vivian Lam, WIRED, 24 Feb. 2023 Finding ways to deprecate systems and automate others across the organization can help retain your most important asset: people. - Len Covello, Engage People Inc. 6. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 6 Feb. 2023 Grease was the sort of film — unapologetically nostalgic and campy — that critics tend to deprecate, and many of them savaged it. Charles Hirshberg, Peoplemag, 19 Aug. 2022 Investors can shift to other markets, companies can change their focus, infrastructure can be allowed to deprecate until much of its value is gone. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 10 May 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deprecate.' 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

Latin deprecatus, past participle of deprecari to avert by prayer, from de- + precari to pray — more at pray

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 4b

Time Traveler
The first known use of deprecate was in 1628

Dictionary Entries Near deprecate

Cite this Entry

“Deprecate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deprecate. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

deprecate

verb
dep·​re·​cate ˈdep-ri-ˌkāt How to pronounce deprecate (audio)
deprecated; deprecating
1
: to express disapproval of
2
: to represent as of little value : depreciate
deprecatingly adverb
deprecation noun

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