Debasement

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Debasement

The act of lowering the value of something, especially a coin. In the past, a government would melt coins down and mix them with a metal of lower value in order to create more coins of the same denomination. This inevitably caused inflation, though it is unclear how well these governments understood that. Because few currencies are now based on a precious metal, debasement it rare.
References in periodicals archive ?
The more [the moral philosopher] struggles to understand, appreciate, and rise, the more instead he misses, debases, and destroys.
FRANCES STARK'S TOP TEN
That passage underscores two things you should know about this book: It's filled with great anecdotal writing, and it never once debases itself by pitching Welles as simply a victimized genius, a reject of the Hollywood machine.
THE RISE AND FALL OF ORSON WELLES
Many hold the opinion that pornography debases both sexes, depicting women as willingly used sex objects.
Sad reflection
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