deprecate

/ˈdɛpɹɪkeɪt/

//ˈdɛpɹɪkeɪt// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"deprecate" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“deprecate” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To express disapproval of, protest or plead against.

Corpus desk

Index EN-deprecate · deprecate · English

deprecate · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "D" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for deprecate
PropertyValue
Headworddeprecate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈdɛpɹɪkeɪt/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “deprecate” sits in English frequency

deprecatesits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

deprecate is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈdɛpɹɪkeɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for deprecate, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin dēprecātus, perfect active participle of dēprecor (“to pray against (a present or impending evil) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), pray for, intercede for (that which is in danger), rarely imprecate”), from dē- (“off”) + precor (“to pra… The correct English form is deprecate, spelled D-E-P-R-E-C-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To express disapproval of, protest or plead against.
  2. 2
    To belittle, depreciate.
  3. 3
    To declare something obsolescent; to recommend against a function, technique, command, etc. that still works but has been replaced.
  4. 4
    To pray against.
  5. 5
    To regret deeply.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how deprecate appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. They deprecated the attempt to deny aid to homeless people.
  2. She deprecated any action which might disturb the peace.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dēprecātus, perfect active participle of dēprecor (“to pray against (a present or impending evil) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), pray for, intercede for (that which is in danger), rarely imprecate”), from dē- (“off”) + precor (“to pray”).

This word in other languages

deprecar(Español)ablehnen(Deutsch)depreciar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "deprecate"?
"deprecate" is spelled D-E-P-R-E-C-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɛpɹɪkeɪt/.
What does "deprecate" mean?
As a verb, "deprecate" means: To express disapproval of, protest or plead against.
How do you pronounce "deprecate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "deprecate" is /ˈdɛpɹɪkeɪt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "deprecate"?
Borrowed from Latin dēprecātus, perfect active participle of dēprecor (“to pray against (a present or impending evil) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), pray for, intercede for (that which is in danger), rarely imprecate”), from dē- (“off”) + preco... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

What to do next

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Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list