What does devaluating mean?
Devaluating is the present participle and gerund of the verb 'devaluate', meaning to reduce the value of something, most commonly a country's currency. When a government engages in devaluating its money, it officially lowers the exchange rate so that the currency buys less foreign goods than before — a move typically intended to make exports cheaper abroad, though it also raises import prices and can signal economic distress. Beyond economics, the word is used figuratively for actions that diminish something's worth or prestige, as in devaluating a brand, an achievement, or a person's contribution. The form is grammatically standard but notably less frequent than 'devaluing', derived from the far more common verb 'devalue'; writers who choose 'devaluating' tend to produce a slightly more formal register, sometimes at the cost of naturalness. Its Latin root, valere ('to be strong or worth'), ties it to words like valid, evaluate, and valuable.
Present participle of 'devaluate': to lower the official value of a currency, or figuratively to reduce the worth or standing of something.
"By devaluating the currency twice in one year, the government hoped to revive stagnant exports."
Prefer 'devaluing' in most modern writing; 'devaluating' is grammatically correct but comparatively rare.
The act or process of reducing the value of a currency or, figuratively, of something's worth or status.
"Repeated devaluating of the national currency eroded public confidence in the banking system."
While 'devalue' dominates modern usage, its cousin 'devaluate' survives as a slightly clunkier sibling — proof that even in economics, English often keeps two ways to say the same thing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of devaluating
'Devaluate' combines the prefix 'de-' (indicating removal or reduction) with 'valuate', from Latin 'valere', meaning 'to be strong or to be worth'. The verb emerged as an alternative to the shorter 'devalue', which became the dominant form in English. Cognates sharing the same root include 'evaluate', 'valuable', and 'valid', all ultimately descending from the Latin adjective 'validus' and verb 'valere'.
Related word forms
How devaluating is actually used
'Devaluating' is considerably less common than 'devaluing'; most style-conscious writers prefer 'devalue/devaluing'. It carries a neutral-to-negative connotation: in economic contexts it describes deliberate policy, while in figurative use it implies disrespect or erosion of worth.
Easily confused with devaluating
'Devaluing' is the standard everyday form from the verb 'devalue', while 'devaluating' comes from the rarer verb 'devaluate' — same meaning, but 'devaluating' is markedly less common and can sound formal or awkward.
'Deflating' refers to reducing prices or an economy's money supply broadly, whereas devaluating specifically lowers a currency's exchange value against other currencies.