deprecate
verbUK /ˈdɛpɹɪkeɪt/ · US /ˈdɛp.rɪˌkeɪt/
Etymology Borrowed from Latin dēprecātus, perfect active participle of dēprecor (“to pray against (a present or impending evil) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), pray for, intercede for (that which is in danger), rarely imprecate”), from dē- (“off”) + precor (“to pray”).
1
To express disapproval of, protest or plead against.
- They deprecated the attempt to deny aid to homeless people.
- She deprecated any action which might disturb the peace.
1 more example
- He spoke of Ethel continually; entreated her to forgive him; deprecated her coldness; and implored her to retract her refusal.1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Return to Courtenaye Hall”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 150:
2
To belittle, depreciate.
- He deprecates any praise of his own merits.
- Prior to the 1980s, Australian English had been widely deprecated by Australians themselves, principally as a result of a sense of inferiority known as "cultural cringe".2012, James Lambert, “Beyond Hobson-Jobson: A new lexicography for Indian English”, in World Englishes, page 295:
3
Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences 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.
1 more example
- A deprecated function works in the currently released version of Perl 5 but may not be supported in future releases of Perl 5.2003, Dave Evans et al., Perl, CGI, and JavaScript Complete, Sybex, →ISBN:
4
Archaic To pray against.
- 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.1701, Nehemiah Grew, Cosmologia Sacra, London: W. Rogers, S. Smith, and B. Walford, page 126:
- […], though the Temporal Judgments which We Deprecate, are not remov’d.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:
5
Archaic To regret deeply.
- Derived terms
- deprecatory, self-deprecate
- Related terms
- deprecation, discontinue