Deprecate vs Depreciate
deprecate
to belittle/disapprove
depreciate
to lose value
How to tell them apart
dePRECIate hides PRICE (preci~price): its value/PRICE drops. dePRECate has no price; it means to put down or disapprove. PRICE inside = value falls; no price = you belittle it.
Test yourself
Which word fits from context? Pick one, then reveal the answer. This is exactly how the GRE tests these pairs.
Question 1
Critics were quick to the novel, dismissing its plot as derivative and its prose as embarrassingly overwrought.
Choose: deprecate or depreciate
Show answer
Answer: deprecate
"dismissing... derivative... embarrassingly overwrought" signals belittling = deprecate; depreciate (lose monetary value) does not fit disparaging criticism.
Question 2
New cars famously begin to the moment they leave the lot, losing a substantial share of their sticker price within a year.
Choose: deprecate or depreciate
Show answer
Answer: depreciate
"losing a substantial share of their sticker price" signals loss of value = depreciate; deprecate (to belittle) does not fit price loss.
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