Definition

1. Verb (transitive):

   • To lower the value or price of something, especially officially or deliberately: To cause something to be worth less money.
   • To belittle, disparage, or speak slightingly of someone or something: To represent something as being of little worth or importance.

2. Verb (intransitive):

   • To decline in value or price over time: To become worth less money, often due to age, use, or market conditions.

Usage Examples

• Verb (transitive):

  • The central bank can depreciate the currency to boost exports.
  • It is unkind to depreciate someone's honest efforts.

• Verb (intransitive):

  • Most cars depreciate rapidly in their first few years.
  • The value of the equipment will depreciate over its useful life.

Advanced Usage

• Accounting/Finance Context: In accounting, "depreciate" refers to the systematic allocation of the cost of a tangible asset over its useful life.
  • For tax purposes, the company will depreciate the new machinery over five years.
• Economic Context: Often used regarding currencies or assets losing purchasing power.
  • If inflation is high, the local currency may depreciate against the dollar.

Variants and Related Words

• Depreciation (noun): The process or amount of losing value.
  • The depreciation of the car was faster than expected.
• Depreciatory (adjective): Tending to depreciate or belittle.
  • He made a depreciatory remark about the project's scope.
• Depreciable (adjective): Capable of being depreciated for accounting purposes.
  • Land is not a depreciable asset.

Synonyms

• Devalue: To reduce the official value of a currency.
• Diminish: To make or become less.
• Disparage: To regard or represent as being of little worth.
• Undervalue: To rate or estimate something below its real worth.

Antonyms

• Appreciate: To increase in value.
• Cherish: To hold something dear; the opposite of belittling.
• Overvalue: To assign too high a value.

Related Phrases

• To depreciate in value: A common phrase emphasizing the process of losing worth.
  • The building continues to depreciate in value due to poor maintenance.
• Self-depreciating: (Note: The more common modern term is "self-deprecating," meaning modest about or critical of oneself).
  • Her self-depreciating humor made her very likable. (Note: This usage is less common; "self-deprecating" is standard.)

Verb

1. lose in value
   • The dollar depreciated again
2. lower the value of something
   • The Fed depreciated the dollar once again
3. belittle
   • The teacher should not deprecate his student's efforts