To reduce from a higher to a lower state or grade of worth, dignity, purity, station, etc.; to degrade; to lower; to deteriorate; to abase; as, to debase the character by crime; to debase the mind by frivolity; to debase style by vulgar words.
To reduce the value of. Classically, a currency is debased if its value in terms of gold or other precious metal is reduced.
to make corrupt or worth less
A term used with reference to precious metal coins to describe a reduction in the purity of the item by increasing the proportion of base metals or by filing or clipping the coin to reduce its weight.
corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality; "debauch the young people with wine and women"; "Socrates was accused of corrupting young men"; "Do school counselors subvert young children?"; "corrupt the morals"
lower in value by increasing the base-metal content
corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones; "adulterate liquor"
To reduce the amount of precious metal content in an issue of coins, thereby increasing the proportion of base metal contained.
To reduce the precious metal content of coinage by alloying it with less valuable metals.