derogatory

[dih-rog-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee]

adjective

1. tending to lessen the merit or reputation of a person or thing; disparaging; depreciatory.

   a derogatory remark.

   Synonyms: uncomplimentary

derogatory

/ -trɪ, dɪˈrɒɡətərɪ /

adjective

1. tending or intended to detract, disparage, or belittle; intentionally offensive

Other Word Forms

• derogatorily adverb
• derogatoriness noun
• nonderogatorily adverb
• nonderogatorilyness noun
• nonderogatory adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of derogatory¹

First recorded in 1495–1505; from Late Latin dērogātōrius “belonging to a repeal”; equivalent to derogate + -tory ¹

Example Sentences

No serious mental-health professional would render such a partisan and derogatory diagnosis.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Think of it as the Korean “no sabo”: a derogatory term for a person living outside of the motherland and thus disconnected from their culture.

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A few years later, Laws and another presenter on radio station 2UE were found guilty of breaking homosexual vilification laws for referring to a young gay couple using derogatory language.

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Lawrence Hume, a detention sergeant, was dismissed on Friday at an accelerated misconduct hearing, which also heard he used a derogatory term to describe the detainee.

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I am not saying this in a derogatory way about Owen Farrell, but Ford and George have a very different leadership style to someone like Farrell.

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Related Words

• defamatory 
• degrading 
• demeaning 
• disparaging 
• sarcastic 
• slanderous 
• unflattering