relegation
Americannoun
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assignment or banishment to an inferior position, place, rank, or condition.
Many factors are responsible for the relegation of disabled people to the margins of society.
The pending legislation shows the relegation of environmental concerns toward the bottom of the priority list in energy politics.
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Soccer. demotion to a lower playing league or division based on a team’s record.
The European leagues are a meritocratic hierarchy connected by promotion and relegation.
Etymology
Origin of relegation
First recorded in 1400–50; from Latin relēgātiōn-, stem of relēgātiō “a sending away, banishment”; see relegate ( def. ), -ion ( def. )
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.
"This is the main part of my character, be brave. In the last three years I always pushed the limit," says Rohl, who describes saving Sheffield Wednesday from relegation in 2023-24 as a miracle.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
There have been growing calls from disgruntled fans for the club to be sold, with the most vocal showing coming outside King Power Stadium after relegation from the Championship was confirmed last season.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
But once relegation had been confirmed, the Northern Irishman maintained that recruitment had been in the club's "best long-term interests", a view that has arguably since been vindicated.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Mindful that the odds were against survival, Ipswich also targeted players thought unlikely to baulk at remaining part of the project in the event of relegation.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
The relegation of the married flirt to her proper sphere and duties is beyond the power of any single individual.
From Maids Wives and Bachelors by Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
