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.

Nearby words

Origin of relegate

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

SYNONYMS FOR relegate

2. delegate, entrust.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR relegate ON THESAURUS.COM

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

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

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
But we relegate and outsource our programming capabilities at our own peril.
Obama's Internet Misfire|Douglas Rushkoff|May 29, 2009|DAILY BEAST

Not being able to explain them, they relegate all birthmarks to the unknowables, calling them freaks or monstrosities.
Self Knowledge and Guide to Sex Instruction|T. W. Shannon
They are ready sometimes to allow even that, provided they may relegate it into the past, or into the future.
Westminster Sermons|Charles Kingsley
Resignedly does it labor, its whole life long, in the darkness whither most of us relegate it, where it is spoken to by none.
The Inner Beauty|Maurice Maeterlinck
It is a mistake to relegate this text to the dim and distant future, to some far-off consummation.
The Expositor's Bible: Ephesians|G. G. Findlay
We relegate to an appendix some remarks on the debated questions.
The World of Homer|Andrew Lang

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

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.