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 Artist Rights Alliance (ARA) has issued an open letter condemning the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to infringe upon and devalue the rights of artists. Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 2 Apr. 2024 Trying to solve the child-care crisis by striving for affordability accepts largely unchallenged assumptions and a legacy that devalues care. Elliot Haspel, The Atlantic, 20 Mar. 2024 Policymakers of both parties now argue that China’s economic policies — including artificially devaluing its currency to support exports — have undermined U.S. manufacturing, and Trump sometimes discusses tariffs as a way to force Beijing to change course. Jeff Stein, Washington Post, 27 Jan. 2024 Even for smaller businesses, focusing on continuous learning helps leaders encourage those vital yet challenging human skills that are too often devalued in training that focuses on technical skills and processes. David Deane-Spread, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024 Rumors about presumptive No. 1 pick’s difficulty yet another sophomoric attempt to squeeze an elephant into a very small room Sez Me … Caleb Williams’ stock isn’t being devalued by professional investment counselors. Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024 Our culture devalues the domestic work of parenting at almost every level. Meghan Leahy, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 The government has drastically devalued the dollar that Americans are working their asses off to earn. Destiny Torres, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 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

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 19 Apr. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!