The loss of value of an asset over time, especially because of wear, age, or becoming outdated. In accounting, it is the planned way of spreading the cost of an asset over the years it is used.
From *depreciate* plus the noun-forming suffix *-ion*. It keeps the Latin idea of lowering price or value.
Depreciation turns loss into math: instead of being surprised that a machine is worth less, companies plan exactly how fast it will 'disappear' from the books. It’s a clever way of admitting that almost everything physical is slowly wearing out.
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