demotion

American  

[dih-moh-shuhn] / dɪˈmoʊ ʃən /

noun

demotions plural

1. the act or process of reducing to a lower grade, rank, class, or position, or the result of such a reduction.

   The committee is charged with hearing employee appeals and addressing complaints regarding suspension, demotion, layoff, or termination of employment.

   The company’s bad quarter resulted in a further demotion of their overall rating from C+ to C.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• demotions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of demotion

de- + (pro)motion

Explanation

A demotion is when your rank or position is lowered by a superior. In the military, disobeying orders could result in a demotion. In the military — as well as other careers — people usually move up the ladder with time, rising through the ranks. When your superiors bring you up to a higher level, that's called a promotion, like an assistant manager becoming a manager. However, if you're a manager and you get bumped back to assistant manager, that's a demotion. Demotions occur when someone has broken the rules or has done a poor job. Demotions usually come with a reduction in pay too.

Example Sentences

Demotion in rank is considered the third most severe punishment for sumo elders after dismissal and a recommendation for retirement.

From BBC • Feb. 23, 2024

Demotion means that the material would remain visible to people searching for it, but the company’s algorithms would be less likely to suggest the posts into people’s feeds.

From Slate • Jan. 25, 2023

"Demotion, emotion, promotion, locomotion, I don't know how you would describe this move, though move it is. All I would say is that it's a privilege to serve," is how Gove described it.

From Washington Post • Jun. 30, 2016

Demotion or not, Bergenheim was all over the ice early in the game and played like he had something to prove.

From Washington Times • Mar. 11, 2015

The public debates of the Athenian assembly were not favourable to the success of a scheme like that proposed by Demotion, to which secrecy was indispensable.

From Hellenica by Dakyns, Henry Graham