Deprecate-Depreciate | Commonly Confused Words
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Master confusing words with ease

Deprecate vs. Depreciate

Deprecate

/ˈdeprəkeɪt/
To express disapproval or criticism of something.

Examples:

The engineer deprecated the old software version for inefficiency.Critics often deprecate films for being overly clichéd.Teachers shouldn't deprecate students' efforts with harsh words.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Depreciate

/dɪˈpriːʃieɪt/
To reduce in value over time

Examples:

The old car began to depreciate rapidly in value.Their investment in stocks did not depreciate as expected.Over time, electronics tend to depreciate significantly.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Ways to tell them apart:

etymology
  • Both words start with dep, but they have different endings that suggest their meanings; deprecate ends with cate similar to indicate, which can help you remember its relation to showing disapproval.
  • Remember depreciate relates to value because it contains the part preci similar to precious.
  • Deprecate is often used in a more formal context, like programming or technology, to signal disapproval, not related to value or money.
  • Think of depreciate in terms of finance or objects losing monetary value over time.
  • Deprecate can be used in more rhetorical or communicative contexts, like when a speaker deprecates a practice.
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