pejorative
[pi-jawr-uh-tiv, -jor-, pej-uh-rey-, pee-juh-]
- having a disparaging, derogatory, or belittling effect or force: the pejorative affix -ling in princeling.
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- a pejorative form or word, as poetaster.
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Origin of pejorative
Synonyms
See more synonyms for pejorative on Thesaurus.com1. deprecatory.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for pejorative
Contemporary Examples
At its most pejorative, the term describes a uniquely disposable kind of young gay man: Hairless, guileless, witless.
In Spanish the word joke (broma) is not at all pejorative, it is playful.
“A Billy Collins poem” has even been used as a pejorative term in certain workshop settings.
Grossman is quick to point out that he does not consider the term “sheep” a pejorative.
There is no need to qualify this assessment with a pejorative “for a reality-TV show.”
Historical Examples
This term is a pejorative which may be applied also to the exercise of our other senses.
The Natural Philosophy of LoveRemy de Gourmont
Alternatively, Professor A. Dalzell points out to me that illa could have a pejorative sense.
He consistently uses "Jew" as a pejorative adjective instead of "Jewish."
Nina BalatkaAnthony Trollope
But given its age and its purpose this ought not to be construed in the contemporary, pejorative sense.
Diego Collado's Grammar of the Japanese LanguageDiego Collado
pejorative
- (of words, expressions, etc) having an unpleasant or disparaging connotation
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- a pejorative word, expression, etc
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Word Origin
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
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Word Origin and History for pejorative
adj.
"depreciative, disparaging," 1888, from French péjoratif, from Late Latin peiorat-, past participle stem of peiorare "make worse," from Latin peior "worse," related to pessimus "worst," pessum "downward, to the ground," from PIE *ped-yos-, comparative of root *ped- "to walk, stumble, impair" (see peccadillo). As a noun from 1882. English had a verb pejorate "to worsen" from 1640s.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper