Expressing disapproval or criticism; tending to belittle or disparage. Deprecatory language seeks to diminish the value or importance of its target.
From Latin 'deprecatus,' meaning 'to pray against' or 'to ward off by prayer,' from 'de-' (away) and 'precari' (to pray). Originally meant praying for something bad to be averted, but evolved to mean speaking against something to diminish its value.
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