demote

[dih-moht]

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verb (used with object), de·mot·ed, de·mot·ing.

to reduce to a lower grade, rank, class, or position (opposed to promote): They demoted the careless waiter to busboy.

Origin of demote

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

Related formsde·mo·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for demote

bump, dismiss, relegate, lower, reduce, bust, bench, break, demean, degrade, demerit, declass, disrate

Examples from the Web for demote

Contemporary Examples of demote

Obama or Congress could demote or impeach Jaczko within the next year; either move would be highly unprecedented.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Greg Jaczko's Controversial Reign
Daniel Stone
December 14, 2011

Historical Examples of demote

Billy Kasker wandered off for a few moments and I had to demote him.
Be It Ever Thus
Robert Moore Williams

British Dictionary definitions for demote

demote

verb

(tr) to lower in rank or position; relegate

Derived Formsdemotion, noun

Word Origin for demote

C19: from de- + (pro) mote

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

Word Origin and History for demote

1881, American English coinage from de- + stem of promote. Said to have been Midwestern in origin.

Regarding an antithesis to 'promote,' the word universally in use in Cambridge, in Harvard College, is drop. The same word is in use in the leading schools here (Boston). I hope I may be counted every time against such barbarisms as 'demote' and 'retromote.' [Edward Everett Hale, 1892, letter to the publishers of "Funk & Wagnalls' Standard Dictionary"]

Related: Demoted; demoting.