pejoration

American  

[pej-uh-rey-shuhn, pee-juh-] / ˌpɛdʒ əˈreɪ ʃən, ˌpi dʒə- /

noun

1. depreciation; a lessening in worth, quality, etc.

2. Historical Linguistics. semantic change in a word to a lower, less approved, or less respectable meaning.

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pejoration British  

/ ˌpiːdʒəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. linguistics semantic change whereby a word acquires unfavourable connotations Compare amelioration

   the English word ``silly'' changed its meaning from ``holy'' or ``happy'' by pejoration

2. the process of worsening; deterioration

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Etymology

Origin of pejoration

1650–60; < Medieval Latin pējōrātiōn- (stem of pējōrātiō ) a making worse, equivalent to Late Latin pējōrāt ( us ) (past participle of pējōrāre to make worse, derivative of pējor worse) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

As a recent episode of the podcast Very Bad Words explains, the word has undergone “pejoration” since its inception, or a shift from neutral to negative.

From Slate

The process of pejoration may take place below the level of consciousness, but in historical perspective, the direction of travel is obvious.

From The Guardian

A colleague on the news desk, the subeditor James Eagle, says using “woman” as an adjective is “somewhere between a hypercorrection and pejoration, plus a dollop of condescending sexism masquerading as chivalry.”

From The Guardian

Pejoration, pē-jō-rā′shun, n. a becoming worse: deterioration.—v.i.

From Project Gutenberg

I hope that these baths may arrest the disagreeable tendency to pejoration from which I have suffered in the past year.

From Project Gutenberg