Synonyms

demote

American

[dih-moht] / dɪˈmoʊt /

verb (used with object)

demoted, demoting

to reduce to a lower grade, rank, class, or position (promote ).

They demoted the careless waiter to busboy.

demote British

/ dɪˈməʊt /

verb

(tr) to lower in rank or position; relegate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

demotion noun

Etymology

Origin of demote

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95; de- + (pro)mote

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As a result, three clubs were either demoted or removed in the summer.

From BBC

The north London side, who were demoted to the Championship in 2020 for breaches of the salary cap, have focused on fostering the best possible dressing environment in the belief it pays out in performance.

From BBC

Companies with the smallest market values in the S&P 500 are vulnerable to getting demoted to the S&P mid-cap index or even the small-cap benchmark.

From Barron's

Smith said Tuesday on “The Stephen A. Smith Show” that he hadn’t been demoted from his status as a show regular, as some outlets suggested.

From Los Angeles Times

But the Surrey batter was demoted when the squad for the tour of Australia was named in September.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023