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pejorative

[ pi-jawr-uh-tiv, -jor-, pej-uh-rey-, pee-juh- ]
/ pɪˈdʒɔr ə tɪv, -ˈdʒɒr-, ˈpɛdʒ əˌreɪ-, ˈpi dʒə- /
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See synonyms for: pejorative / pejoratives on Thesaurus.com

adjective
having a disparaging, derogatory, or belittling effect or force: the pejorative affix -ling in princeling.
noun
a pejorative form or word, as poetaster.
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Origin of pejorative

1880–85; <Latin pējōrāt(us) (see pejoration) + -ive

OTHER WORDS FROM pejorative

Words nearby pejorative

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pejorative in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pejorative

pejorative
/ (pɪˈdʒɒrətɪv, ˈpiːdʒər-) /

adjective
(of words, expressions, etc) having an unpleasant or disparaging connotation
noun
a pejorative word, expression, etc

Derived forms of pejorative

pejoratively, adverb

Word Origin for pejorative

C19: from French péjoratif, from Late Latin pējōrātus, past participle of pējōrāre to make worse, from Latin pēior worse
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
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