Finesentence logo

Debasement: meaning, definitions and examples

💰
Add to dictionary

debasement

 

[ dɪˈbeɪsmənt ]

Noun / Verb
Context #1 | Noun

financial

The act of reducing the value or quality of something, especially currency or reputation.

Synonyms

corruption, degradation, impairment

Examples of usage

  • The debasement of the currency led to hyperinflation.
  • His debasement of his own reputation was due to his unethical behavior.
Context #2 | Noun

social

The state of being lowered in character or quality.

Synonyms

degradation, disgrace, humiliation

Examples of usage

  • The debasement of society was evident in the widespread corruption.
  • She felt a sense of debasement after being mistreated by her colleagues.
Context #3 | Verb

general

To lower the value or quality of something, especially by adding inferior elements.

Synonyms

degrade, deteriorate, tarnish

Examples of usage

  • He debased the recipe by using low-quality ingredients.
  • The counterfeit artist debased the painting by altering its original features.

Translations

Translations of the word "debasement" in other languages:

🇵🇹 degradação

🇮🇳 अपमान

🇩🇪 Entwertung

🇮🇩 penurunan

🇺🇦 знецінення

🇵🇱 dewaluacja

🇯🇵 価値の低下

🇫🇷 dévalorisation

🇪🇸 degradación

🇹🇷 değer kaybı

🇰🇷 가치 하락

🇸🇦 إهانة

🇨🇿 znehodnocení

🇸🇰 znehodnotenie

🇨🇳 贬值

🇸🇮 devalvacija

🇮🇸 rýrnun

🇰🇿 құнсыздану

🇬🇪 დევალვაცია

🇦🇿 qiymətdən düşmə

🇲🇽 degradación

Etymology

The word 'debasement' originated from the Old French word 'debas', which means 'to lower'. It first appeared in English in the late 16th century. The concept of debasement has historically been associated with currency devaluation and moral decline. In the context of finances, debasement refers to the act of reducing the value of currency by adding less valuable metals. In a broader sense, debasement can also refer to the lowering of moral standards or reputation.

See also: abase, base, baseball, based, baseless, baselessly, basement, basic, basin, basis, debase, debased.

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #26,719, this word represents specialized academic or technical vocabulary. It's less frequently encountered but may be valuable in specific contexts.