Lewis & Short

dēprĕcātĭo, ōnis, f. [deprecor], a warding off or averting by prayer; a deprecating, deprecation.

  1. I. Prop.
    1. A. In gen.: periculi. Cic. Rab. perd. 9, 26: venia deprecationis, Quint. prooem. § 2.
        1. b. Esp., in relig. lang., an imprecation: defigi diris deprecationibus, Plin. 28, 2, 4, § 19: deorum, an invoking of the gods to send punishment on the perjurer, Cic. Rosc. Com. 16, 46; Petr. 18, 1.
          More freq.,
  2. II. Transf., a prayer for pardon, deprecation: ejus facti, Cic. Part. Or. 37 fin.; cf. inertiae, Hirt. B. G. 8 prooem. § 1; Plaut. Capt. 3, 3, 7: assidua, Vulg. Jacob. 5, 16.
    So in rhetoric, like the Gr. προπαραίτησις or συγγνώμη, Cic. Inv. 2, 34; id. de Or. 3, 53 fin.; Auct. Her. 1, 14; Quint. 9, 1, 32 al.