devalue

verb

de·​val·​ue (ˌ)dē-ˈval-(ˌ)yü How to pronounce devalue (audio)
devalued; devaluing; devalues

transitive verb

1
: to institute the devaluation of (money)
2
: to lessen the value of

intransitive verb

: to institute devaluation

Examples of devalue in a Sentence

The government has decided to devalue its currency. Economic woes forced the government to devalue. He argues that placing too many requirements on schools devalues the education they provide.
Recent Examples on the Web The move caught some banks off guard, leaving them holding assets—particularly long-term Treasuries—that were quickly being devalued by the rate hikes. Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2024 The volume of content being churned out every day has skyrocketed, the life cycle of each piece of media has grown shorter and social media platforms continue to inflate public metrics, devaluing previously impressive online stats. Taylor Lorenz, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, the country’s multiple exchange rates were unified to allow market forces to determine the rate of the local naira against the dollar, which in effect devalued the currency. Chinedu Asadu, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Feb. 2024 Meanwhile, the country's multiple exchange rates were unified to allow market forces to determine the rate of the local naira against the dollar, which in effect devalued the currency. Chinedu Asadu, Quartz, 17 Feb. 2024 The Phoenix Suns' starting center has no qualms about rubbing it in to detractors such as Fox Sports analyst Nick Wright, who previously devalued Bradley Beal's pedigree to help Phoenix win a championship. Dana Scott, The Arizona Republic, 12 Jan. 2024 The season created conversations around how society devalues women after a certain age, desirability, and how much more life — and love — every contestant and, more broadly, senior women in general can aspire to have. Alex Zaragoza, Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2023 Worth Rises and other social justice advocates say this loophole allows those in prison to be exploited as cheap or unpaid labor, dehumanizing and devaluing them in the process. Leslie Katz, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 Gaza or no Gaza, Egypt is expected to devalue its currency after the election, promising further pain for its people. Vivian Yee, New York Times, 10 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'devalue.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of devalue was in 1918

Dictionary Entries Near devalue

Cite this Entry

“Devalue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devalue. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Legal Definition

devalue

transitive verb
de·​val·​ue (ˌ)dē-ˈval-(ˌ)yü How to pronounce devalue (audio)
devalued; devaluing
1
: to institute the devaluation of (money)
2
: to lessen the value of
devaluing assets

More from Merriam-Webster on devalue

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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