Definition of "debasement" [de•base•ment]

• The act of debasing or the state of being debased; a lowering, especially in character or quality. (noun)
• The lowering of the value of a currency by reducing the amount of valuable metal in the coins. (noun)

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• "When the name of Gail Wynand became a threat in the publishing world, a group of newspaper owners took him aside -- at a city charity affair which all had to attend -- and reproached him for what they called his debasement of the public taste."
• "Currency debasement is a theme unlikely to go away any time soon."
• "So far there has been precious little questioning of this long-term debasement of the world's biggest currency."