What does deprecatorily mean?
"Deprecatorily" is an adverb meaning in a manner that expresses disapproval, belittlement, or — very commonly — modest self-effacement. When someone smiles deprecatorily or waves deprecatorily, they are downplaying praise or deflecting attention from their own achievements; when a remark is made deprecatorily, it carries a note of disparagement. The word derives from Latin deprecari, 'to pray against' or 'to ward off by prayer', via English 'deprecate', which originally meant to pray against evil and later came to mean to express strong disapproval. Formal and literary in tone, it appears mostly in written prose rather than conversation, where phrases like 'in a self-deprecating way' are preferred. Its close relative 'depreciatively' should not be confused with it: depreciation concerns loss of value, whereas deprecation concerns disapproval or modest dismissal. For writers seeking an elegant, precise adverb for gestures of modesty or mild censure, "deprecatorily" remains a serviceable if somewhat old-fashioned choice.
adverbIn a manner that expresses disapproval, belittlement, or self-effacement; in a deprecating way.
- In a manner expressing disapproval or belittlement.
- In a self-effacing or modest manner that downplays one's own merits.
""It's nothing special," he said deprecatorily, waving away the compliments."
"She waved deprecatorily when praised, insisting the credit belonged to her team."
""Just an old family recipe," he murmured deprecatorily, though everyone at the table knew better."
Despite looking like it means 'to lower the price of', deprecatorily actually comes from Latin deprecari — 'to pray against' — so every self-mocking smile is, etymologically speaking, a tiny prayer for mercy.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of deprecatorily
"Deprecatorily" traces back through English 'deprecatory' to the Latin verb deprecari, formed from de- ('away, against') and precari ('to pray, entreat'). Originally it conveyed praying earnestly against something, as in averting evil or wrath. English 'deprecate' shifted over time toward expressing disapproval or seeking to ward off criticism, giving rise to the adjective 'deprecatory' in the 17th century and thence the adverb. It shares its Latin root with words such as 'imprecation', 'precarious', and 'pray'.
Related word forms
How deprecatorily is actually used
Formal and somewhat literary in register; rare in everyday speech, where 'in a self-deprecating way' is far more common. In modern usage it frequently carries the sense of self-modesty rather than outright criticism of others.
Easily confused with deprecatorily
Deprecatorily expresses disapproval or belittlement (often self-deprecating modesty), while depreciatively implies a lowering of value or worth, especially in a financial or evaluative sense.