# debase

> English word · Verb · IPA /dɪˈbeɪs/ · frequency rank #84,155

## Definitions
1. To lower in character, quality, or value; to degrade.
2. To lower in position or rank.
3. To lower the value of (a currency) by reducing the amount of valuable metal in the coins.

## Etymology
From de- + base, from Old French bas, from Latin bassus. Cognate with Spanish debajo (“under, beneath, below”). Compare abase.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/debase