deprecate
English
Etymology
From Latin deprecatus, past participle of deprecari (“to pray against (a present or impending evil), pray for, intercede for (that which is in danger), rarely imprecate”), from de (“off”) + precari (“to pray”).
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈdɛpɹɪkeɪt/, IPA(key): /ˈdɛpɹəkeɪt/
- Hyphenation: dep‧re‧cate
Verb
deprecate (third-person singular simple present deprecates, present participle deprecating, simple past and past participle deprecated)
- (transitive) To belittle or express disapproval of.
- He deprecates any praise of his own merits.
- They deprecated the attempt to deny aid to homeless people.
- She deprecated any action which might disturb the peace.
- (transitive, chiefly computing) To declare something obsolescent; to recommend against a function, technique, command, etc. that still works but has been replaced.
- The bold tag has been deprecated in favour of the strong tag.
- It is still supported but strongly deprecated.
- (transitive, archaic) To pray against.
- 1701, Nehemiah Grew, Cosmologia Sacra, London: W. Rogers, S. Smith, and B. Walford, page 126:
- And in deprecating of Evil, we make an humble Acknowledgement of Guilt; and of God’s Juſtice in chaſtizing, as well as Clemency, in ſparing the Guilty.
- 1712, George Smalridge, “A Sermon, Preach’d at the Royal Chapel at St. James’s on Wedneſday, January the 16th, 1711/12”, London: Jonah Bowyer, page 18:
- […] , though the Temporal Judgments which We Deprecate, are not remov’d.
- 1701, Nehemiah Grew, Cosmologia Sacra, London: W. Rogers, S. Smith, and B. Walford, page 126:
- (transitive, archaic) To regret deeply.
Usage notes
- Do not confuse with depreciate (“to decline in value”).
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
express disapproval of
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to discontinue
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to pray against
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Further reading
- deprecate in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- deprecate in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
- deprecate at OneLook Dictionary Search
Italian
Latin
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