relegate

[rel-i-geyt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR relegate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), rel·e·gat·ed, rel·e·gat·ing.

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.

Origin of relegate

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin relēgātus, past participle of relēgāre to send away, dispatch. See re-, legate

Related formsrel·e·ga·ble

[rel-i-guh-buhl] /ˈrɛl ɪ gə bəl/, adjectiverel·e·ga·tion, nounun·rel·e·ga·ble, adjectiveun·rel·e·gat·ed, adjective

Synonyms for relegate

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR relegate ON THESAURUS.COM

2. delegate, entrust.

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

Related Words for relegate

consign, entrust, refer, demote, dismiss, confide, commend, credit, charge, delegate, commit, accredit, lag, eject, ostracize, expel, displace, remove, exile, expatriate

Examples from the Web for relegate

Contemporary Examples of relegate

The number of women who opt for this type of experience is too large to relegate to the fringe.
Natural Childbirth Is Not a Cult
Brandy Zadrozny
June 27, 2014
But when you try to oust the queen, you better be successful, lest she decides to relegate you to oblivion.
The Assemblyman Has a Gun: The Steven Brooks Saga
Jon Ralston
January 24, 2013
In the end, these entanglements could relegate the everyday people of Ivory Coast to the bottom of his priorities.
The Pain Ahead for Ivory Coast
Mvemba Phezo Dizolele
April 11, 2011
But we relegate and outsource our programming capabilities at our own peril.
Obama's Internet Misfire
Douglas Rushkoff
May 29, 2009

Historical Examples of relegate

All good Americans, we are told, relegate the sojourn to a more distant future.
The Slave Of The Lamp
Henry Seton Merriman
To begin with, we must relegate Selection to its proper place.
Evolution in Modern Thought
Ernst Haeckel
But this does not relegate these civilized nations to savagism.
The Prehistoric World
E. A. Allen
On the other hand, we shall not relegate the old to an almshouse.
The Jewish State
Theodor Herzl
He seemed to relegate self to the background; he was considerate, quiet, serene.
The Range Boss
Charles Alden Seltzer

British Dictionary definitions for relegate

relegate

verb (tr)

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

Derived Formsrelegatable, adjectiverelegation, noun

Word Origin for relegate

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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for relegate

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.