DEPRECIATION

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does depreciation mean? 

• DEPRECIATION (noun)
  The noun DEPRECIATION has 3 senses:

1. a decrease in price or value

2. decrease in value of an asset due to obsolescence or use

3. a communication that belittles somebody or something

  Familiarity information: DEPRECIATION used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DEPRECIATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A decrease in price or value

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

depreciation of the dollar against the yen

Hypernyms ("depreciation" is a kind of...):

decrease; diminution; reduction; step-down (the act of decreasing or reducing something)

Antonym:

appreciation (an increase in price or value)

Derivation:

depreciate (lose in value)

depreciate (lower the value of something)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Decrease in value of an asset due to obsolescence or use

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Synonyms:

depreciation; wear and tear

Hypernyms ("depreciation" is a kind of...):

non-cash expense (an expense (such as depreciation) that is not paid for in cash)

financial loss (loss of money or decrease in financial value)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "depreciation"):

straight-line method; straight-line method of depreciation ((accounting) a method of calculating depreciation by taking an equal amount of the asset's cost as an expense for each year of the asset's useful life)

write-down; write-off ((accounting) reduction in the book value of an asset)

Derivation:

depreciate (lose in value)

depreciate (lower the value of something)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A communication that belittles somebody or something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

depreciation; derogation; disparagement

Hypernyms ("depreciation" is a kind of...):

discourtesy; disrespect (an expression of lack of respect)

Domain member usage:

half-breed (an offensive term for an offspring of parents of different racial group (especially of Caucasian and American Indian ancestry))

Indian giver (an offensive term for someone who asks you to return a present he has given you)

gip; gyp ((sometimes offensive) an act of swindling or cheating)

caffer; caffre; kaffir; kafir (an offensive and insulting term for any Black African)

mammy (an offensive term for a Black nursemaid in the southern U.S.)

mongoloid (a person suffering from Down syndrome (no longer used technically in this sense, now considered offensive))

Moonie (an often derogatory term for a member of the Unification Church)

nazi (derogatory term for a person who is fanatically dedicated to, or seeks to control, some activity, practice, etc.)

picaninny; piccaninny; pickaninny ((ethnic slur) offensive term for a Black child)

shegetz (an offensive term for non-Jewish young man)

shiksa; shikse (a derogatory term used by Jews to refer to non-Jewish women)

gamin; street arab; throwaway ((sometimes offensive) a homeless boy who has been abandoned and roams the streets)

suit ((slang) a businessman dressed in a business suit)

tree hugger (derogatory term for environmentalists who support restrictions on the logging industry and the preservation of forests)

wog ((offensive British slang) term used by the British to refer to people of color from Africa or Asia)

gip; gyp ((sometimes offensive) to cheat or swindle)

touchy-feely ((often derogatory) openly expressing love and affection (especially through physical contact))

mongoloid ((offensive) of or relating to or suffering from Down syndrome)

fag; faggot; fagot; fairy; nance; pansy; poof; poove; pouf; queen; queer (offensive term for a homosexual man)

bastard; mongrel (derogatory term for a variation that is not genuine; something irregular or inferior or of dubious origin)

effeminacy; effeminateness; sissiness; softness; unmanliness; womanishness (the trait of being effeminate (derogatory of a man))

poor white trash; white trash ((slang) an offensive term for White people who are impoverished)

honkey; honkie; honky; whitey ((slang) offensive names for a White man)

coolie; cooly ((ethnic slur) an offensive name for an unskilled Asian laborer)

Injun; red man; Redskin ((slang) offensive term for Native Americans)

papist (an offensive term for Roman Catholics; originally, a Roman Catholic who was a strong advocate of the papacy)

hymie; kike; sheeny; yid ((ethnic slur) offensive term for a Jew)

Chinaman; chink ((ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Chinese descent)

Mick; Mickey; Paddy ((ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Irish descent)

dago; ginzo; greaseball; Guinea; wop ((ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Italian descent)

Jap; Nip ((offensive slang) offensive term for a person of Japanese descent)

spic; spick; spik ((ethnic slur) offensive term for persons of Latin American descent)

greaser; taco; wetback ((ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Mexican descent)

Boche; Hun; Jerry; Kraut; Krauthead (offensive term for a person of German descent)

butch; dike; dyke ((slang) offensive term for a lesbian who is noticeably masculine)

half-caste (an offensive term for the offspring of parents of different racial groups or cultures)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "depreciation"):

cold water (disparagement of a plan or hope or expectation)

belittling; denigration (a belittling comment)

aspersion; slur (a disparaging remark)

detraction; petty criticism (a petty disparagement)

sour grapes (disparagement of something that is unattainable)

condescension; disdain; patronage (a communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipient)

calumniation; calumny; defamation; hatchet job; obloquy; traducement (a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions)

Derivation:

depreciate (belittle)

 Context examples 

He carried his head on one side, partly in modest depreciation of himself, partly in modest propitiation of everybody else.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

As a general reflection on Fanny, Sir Thomas thought nothing could be more unjust, though he had been so lately expressing the same sentiments himself, and he tried to turn the conversation: tried repeatedly before he could succeed; for Mrs. Norris had not discernment enough to perceive, either now, or at any other time, to what degree he thought well of his niece, or how very far he was from wishing to have his own children's merits set off by the depreciation of hers.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

For an hour or more that evening I listened to his monotonous chirrup about bad money driving out good, the token value of silver, the depreciation of the rupee, and the true standards of exchange.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Never to put one hand to anything, on which I could throw my whole self; and never to affect depreciation of my work, whatever it was; I find, now, to have been my golden rules.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)