debasing

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
debase /dɪˈbeɪs/

▶verb

• 1 lower the quality, value, or character of.

• 2 historical lower the value of (coinage) by reducing the content of precious metal.

– derivatives
debasement noun,
debaser noun.

– origin C16: from de- + the obs. v. base (cf. abase), expressing the notion ‘bring down completely’.