Question

what is the meaning of the word deprecating as used in the passage? american advertisements from the 1950s have been widely accused of deprecating women by depicting them as housebound and passive. however, some have argued that, rather than belittling women, many ads portrayed them as capable and independent, both inside and outside the home. options: disparaging, misrepresenting, caricaturing

Explanation:

To determine the meaning of "deprecating", we analyze the context. The passage says ads were accused of deprecating women by depicting them as housebound/passive, and then contrasts it with "belittling" (since "rather than belittling" is used). "Disparaging" means speaking of someone in a negative, belittling way, which matches the context. "Misrepresenting" is about giving a wrong representation, and "caricaturing" is about exaggerating for humor/satire, neither of which fit as well as "disparaging" in relation to the "belittling" contrast.

Answer:

disparaging