de·pre·ci·ate [ di prshee àyt ](past and past participlede·pre·ci·at·ed, present participlede·pre·ci·at·ing, 3rd person present singularde·pre·ci·ates)
verb
Definition:
1. transitive and intransitive verb lose value: to become less valuable, or lessen the value of something
2. transitive verb treat something as decreasingly valuable: to consider something as having less value each year over a fixed period, for the calculation of income tax
3. transitive verb belittle something or somebody: to speak critically or disparagingly about something or somebody
[15th century. < late Latin depreciat-, past participle of depreciare, alteration of Latin depretiare "lower the price of" < pretium "price, money"]