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to devalue

to devalue

15 5.3
To lose value, especially a country's money compared to other money
  • verb
  • /dɪˈvæljuː/
  • Specialized
translation icon : devaluar
  • Britain and Italy chose to drop out and devalue their money by 10 percent against the Deutsche Mark.
  • devalued the currency
  • devalued exchange rate
  • devalued rate

We keep, you know, devaluing the dollar, inflating.

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Examples

  • When Brazil devalued its currency in January, the IMF immediately offered help to Argentina and Mexico.

    Academic text (1999)
  • So just a few days ago, the Chinese devalued the yuan.

  • But when they do that, that typically devalues the money.

  • And they won't devalue them until they get them off their books.

  • On 30 January, the punt was devalued by 10 percent.

    Academic text (2003)
  • The zloty was repeatedly devalued to bring it closer to the equilibrium level.

    Academic text (1991)
  • In September 1991, for example, Zimbabwe devalued its currency as part of a structural reform.

    Academic text (1997)
  • On July 8, 1997, Indonesia faced a currency crisis that badly devalued the rupiah.

    Academic text (2004)
  • The Israeli shekel was devalued by 18.8 percent on July 1, 1985.

    Academic text (1994)
  • The government decided to devalue the currency to stabilize the economy.

Synonyms

to correct
vsto devalue
  • Specialized
14 6.6

To fall in value after a period of rapid rise

is any loss in worth, not only a post-rise market adjustment
to depreciate
vsto devalue
  • Specialized
9 5.9

To lose value over time, especially money or assets

is value loss that applies to assets or money and can be sudden
to deflate
vsto devalue
  • Specialized
5 5.1

To make prices or economic activity go down

is a decline in exchange worth focused on assets or money
to undervalue
vsto devalue
  • Specialized
4 4.9

Become worth less over time

is a general loss in value not limited to gradual change
to devaluate
vsto devalue
  • Specialized
7.5

To make a country's money worth less compared with other currencies

is a loss in value described without specifying government cause

Antonyms

to appreciate
  • Specialized
36 4.8

To increase in value over time

How Low

collapse
350 4.1
fall
106 2.5
to devalue
  • Specialized
15 5.3
to depreciate
  • Specialized
9 5.9
to dip
47 2.5

Surface Forms

devalue infinitive
devalued past
devalued past participle
devaluing present participle
devalues third person singular

Morphology

devalue = value (semi-transparent) = de + value

The structure clearly suggests lowering value, but the specialized financial sense involving currencies and exchange rates is narrower than the general compositional meaning.

Etymology

The word devalue uses the same parts: de- (meaning 'reduce') and value (meaning 'worth'). So when we talk about money, to devalue a currency is to make it buy less of other money or to 'lose' value.