Meaning & use

depreciate

verb·Academic

To decrease in value over time, or to belittle the worth or importance of something.

See it in a sentence

New cars typically depreciate the moment they are driven off the dealership lot.

He tends to depreciate his own achievements whenever someone compliments him.

A note on using this word

In finance, depreciate describes the gradual, expected loss of an asset's value, distinct from devalue, which often implies a deliberate or sudden reduction.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

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