relegate
[rel-i-geyt]
- to send or consign to an inferior position, place, or condition: He has been relegated to a post at the fringes of the diplomatic service.
- to consign or commit (a matter, task, etc.), as to a person: He relegates the less pleasant tasks to his assistant.
- to assign or refer (something) to a particular class or kind.
- to send into exile; banish.
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Origin of relegate
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
consignentrustreferdemotedismissconfidecommendcreditchargedelegatecommitaccreditlagejectostracizeexpeldisplaceremoveexileexpatriateExamples from the Web for relegate
Contemporary Examples
The number of women who opt for this type of experience is too large to relegate to the fringe.
But when you try to oust the queen, you better be successful, lest she decides to relegate you to oblivion.
In the end, these entanglements could relegate the everyday people of Ivory Coast to the bottom of his priorities.
But we relegate and outsource our programming capabilities at our own peril.
Historical Examples
All good Americans, we are told, relegate the sojourn to a more distant future.
The Slave Of The LampHenry Seton Merriman
To begin with, we must relegate Selection to its proper place.
Evolution in Modern ThoughtErnst Haeckel
But this does not relegate these civilized nations to savagism.
The Prehistoric WorldE. A. Allen
On the other hand, we shall not relegate the old to an almshouse.
The Jewish StateTheodor Herzl
He seemed to relegate self to the background; he was considerate, quiet, serene.
The Range BossCharles Alden Seltzer
relegate
- to move to a position of less authority, importance, etc; demote
- (usually passive) mainly British to demote (a football team, etc) to a lower division
- to assign or refer (a matter) to another or others, as for action or decision
- (foll by to) to banish or exile
- to assign (something) to a particular group or category
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Word Origin
C16: from Latin relēgāre to send away, from re- + lēgāre to send
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 relegate
v.
1590s "to banish, send into exile," from Latin relegatus, past participle of relegare "remove, dismiss, banish, send away, schedule, put aside," from re- "back" (see re-) + legare "send with a commission" (see legate). Meaning "place in a position of inferiority" is recorded from 1790. Related: Relegated; relegating; relegable.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper