Deprecation

dep·re·cate  (dpr-kt)

tr.v. de·pre·cat·ed, de·pre·cat·ing, de·pre·cates

1. To express disapproval of; deplore.

2. To belittle; depreciate.

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[Latin dprecr, dprect-, to ward off by prayer : d-, de- + precr, to pray; see prek- in Indo-European roots.]

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depre·cating·ly adv.

depre·cation n.

depre·cator n.

Usage Note: The first and fully accepted meaning of deprecate is "to express disapproval of." But the word has steadily encroached on the meaning of depreciate. It is now used, almost to the exclusion of depreciate, in the sense "to belittle or mildly disparage," as in He deprecated his own contribution. In an earlier survey, this newer sense was approved by a majority of the Usage Panel.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	deprecation - a prayer to avert or remove some evil or disaster orison, petition, prayer - reverent petition to a deity
	2.	deprecation - the act of expressing disapproval (especially of yourself) denigration dispraise, disparagement - the act of speaking contemptuously of