The process of viewing someone or something as worthless, flawed, or much worse than reality. It often follows idealization in unstable relationships, representing the opposite extreme of black-and-white thinking.
From Latin 'de-' (down, away) and 'valere' (to be worth), originally an economic term for reducing currency value. The psychological usage emerged in the mid-20th century to describe how people defensively diminish others' worth when feeling threatened or disappointed.
Devaluation is the cruel flip side of idealization - like a pendulum that swings from 'you're perfect' to 'you're worthless.' It's often a defense against the vulnerability of caring, because if someone is worthless, it doesn't hurt as much when they leave or disappoint you.
Women's labor, expertise, and contributions have been systematically devalued across professional domains; the term mirrors historical economic undervaluation tied to gender discrimination.
When discussing devaluation of labor or expertise, specify whether gender bias is a factor; avoid using 'devaluation' to describe women's work without contextualizing structural inequity.
["undervaluation","systemic undercompensation"]
Women economists and labor theorists—including Diane Elson and Silvia Federici—have documented how patriarchal systems devalue reproductive and care work; credit their frameworks when analyzing gendered devaluation.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.