deprecate

verb

dep·​re·​cate ˈde-pri-ˌkāt 

deprecated; deprecating; deprecates

transitive verb

1

: to express disapproval of

deprecates such attempts at humor

2

a

: play down : make little of

speaks five languages … but deprecates this facility

—Time

b

: belittle, disparage

the most reluctantly admired and least easily deprecated of … novelists

—New Yorker

3

: to withdraw official support for or discourage the use of (something, such as a software product) in favor of a newer or better alternative

… the Google Drive app for PC and Mac is officially being deprecated and the company's developers announced in a blog post that it will no longer be supported starting December 11. Instead, you'll need to choose from one of two new apps.

—Rhett Jones

In the case of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, Microsoft is deprecating and removing more than 20 features.

—Mauro Huculak

4

a

: to seek to avert

deprecate the wrath … of the Roman people

—Tobias Smollett

b

archaic : to pray against (something, such as an evil)

deprecation

ˌde-pri-ˈkā-shən 

noun

Synonyms

• bad-mouth
• belittle
• cry down
• decry
• denigrate
• depreciate
• derogate
• diminish
• dis [slang]
• diss
• discount
• dismiss
• disparage
• kiss off
• minimize
• play down
• poor-mouth
• put down
• run down
• talk down
• trash
• trash-talk
• vilipend
• write off

Examples of deprecate in a Sentence

movie critics tried to outdo one another in deprecating the comedy as the stupidest movie of the year

deprecates TV sitcoms as childish and simpleminded

Recent Examples on the Web

As early as 1989, Gaines had conceived of a show that would juxtapose powerful contemporary work by Black Americans with deprecating excerpts by art critics, highlighting the profound mismeasure of these artists’ achievements. —Adam Bradley, New York Times, 16 May 2024

These generic drivers have been successful enough that Microsoft is slowly deprecating legacy print drivers entirely. —Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 8 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Latin deprecatus, past participle of deprecari to avert by prayer, from de- + precari to pray — more at pray

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 4b

Kids Definition

deprecate

verb

dep·​re·​cate ˈdep-ri-ˌkāt 

deprecated; deprecating

1

: to express disapproval of

2

: to represent as of little value : depreciate

deprecatingly

-ˌkāt-iŋ-lē 

adverb

deprecation

ˌdep-ri-ˈkā-shən 

noun