depreciate

Name: depreciate, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/dɪˈpɹiːʃɪeɪt/

//dɪˈpɹiːʃɪeɪt// verb

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“depreciate” is uncommon English (frequency #55,375 among 26,416 “D” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#55,375
frequency rank, English: 26,416
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To lessen in price or estimated value; to lower the worth of.

Key facts for depreciate
Property	Value
Headword	depreciate
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/dɪˈpɹiːʃɪeɪt/
Letters	10
Frequency rank	#55,375
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “depreciate” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). depreciate lands here:

#55,375

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

depreciate is uncommon English at frequency #55,375 among 26,416 “D” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /dɪˈpɹiːʃɪeɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for depreciate in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English depreciaten, borrowed from Late Latin dēpretiātus / dēpreciātus, perfect passive participle of dēpretiō / dēpreciō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from dē- + pretium (“price”) + -ō. The correct English form is depreciate, spelled D-E-P-R-E-C-I-A-T-E.

Definition

1
To lessen in price or estimated value; to lower the worth of.
2
To decline in value over time.
3
To belittle or disparage.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English depreciaten, borrowed from Late Latin dēpretiātus / dēpreciātus, perfect passive participle of dēpretiō / dēpreciō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from dē- + pretium (“price”) + -ō.

This word in other languages

depreciar(Español)déprécier(Français)herabsetzen(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "depreciate"?

"depreciate" is spelled D-E-P-R-E-C-I-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈpɹiːʃɪeɪt/.

What does "depreciate" mean?

As a verb, "depreciate" means: To lessen in price or estimated value; to lower the worth of.

How do you pronounce "depreciate"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "depreciate" is /dɪˈpɹiːʃɪeɪt/. 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 "depreciate"?

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.

Using “depreciate”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

The one correct English spelling is D-E-P-R-E-C-I-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /dɪˈpɹiːʃɪeɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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.