relegation
Americannoun
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assignment or banishment to an inferior position, place, rank, or condition.
Many factors are responsible for the relegation of disabled people to the margins of society.
The pending legislation shows the relegation of environmental concerns toward the bottom of the priority list in energy politics.
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Soccer. demotion to a lower playing league or division based on a team’s record.
The European leagues are a meritocratic hierarchy connected by promotion and relegation.
Etymology
Origin of relegation
First recorded in 1400–50; from Latin relēgātiōn-, stem of relēgātiō “a sending away, banishment”; relegate ( def. ), -ion ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
With their 2-1 win on Monday night, they moved to 36 points to open a six-point buffer between them and the relegation zone with six matches left.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
They are 18th in the table and in the relegation zone, two points adrift of 17th-placed West Ham.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
Tottenham Hotspur, meanwhile, end the weekend sitting in the relegation zone, following their defeat at Sunderland and West Ham's win against Wolves.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
Venkatesham and Lange will struggle to survive if Spurs suffer the humiliation of relegation, especially as they must take responsibility for the left-field appointment of Tudor.
From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026
She had never yet heard herself called his dear wife, and felt the immensity of her relegation to her proper place.
From The Pastor's Wife by Arnim, Elizabeth von
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
