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

See Examples For:

demotion demotions

This comes ahead of MSCI’s decision next week to determine if Indonesia will hold on to its emerging-market status or drop to a frontier-market classification, a demotion that analysts say will spur heavy capital outflows.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

His absence from work resulted in a demotion from lead foreman to an assistant role.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026

Having won the FA Cup and Community Shield in 2025 at Wembley, their remarkable European journey started in a Swiss courtroom, unsuccessfully appealing their demotion into the Conference League from the second-tier Europa League.

From BBC ● May 7, 2026

Bovino’s apparent demotion came after he made demonstrably false claims that Pretti was aiming to kill federal agents.

From Salon ● Mar. 5, 2026

But given their championship, they recognized what seemed an unwarranted demotion and felt more than a little intimidated by their new coach’s bearing.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

This action follows a series of high-profile staffing changes in the Justice Department, including demotions in February by interim U.S.

From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2025

In the first week of May, the Chinese scientist who first published a sequence of the COVID-19 virus protested authorities barring him from his lab, after years of demotions and setbacks.

From Seattle Times ● May 21, 2024

In cases in which officers were caught having an inappropriate relationship, Moore wrote, the punishment ranged from suspensions and demotions to “the individual no longer being a member of this organization.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2023

People accept demotions all the time, for all kinds of reasons.

From New York Times ● Mar. 18, 2023

Two goalkeepers took demotions to England’s second division and the third hasn’t gotten a single Premier League minute.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 24, 2022