demote

verb

de·​mote di-ˈmōt How to pronounce demote (audio)
ˌdē-
demoted; demoting

transitive verb

1
: to reduce to a lower grade or rank
demote a student
was demoted from major to captain
2
: to relegate to a less important position
a pitcher demoted to the bullpen
demotion noun

Examples of demote in a Sentence

Teachers can choose to demote a student to a lower grade. The army major was demoted to captain.
Recent Examples on the Web In Victoria’s telling, Franky’s Yoji is a divorced and demoted Japanese salaryman who chooses to abandon it all and head to Manila. Patrick Frater, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024 By Oren Lieberman | CNN The Navy demoted Rep. Ronny Jackson in 2022 after a scathing report from the Defense Department watchdog found the former White House physician drank on the job, routinely screamed at subordinates and acted inappropriately. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 The show features a younger, and recently divorced and demoted, protagonist. Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 According to personnel records obtained by WAVE News, Kazee and Scott were demoted in November 2023. USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2024 The Texas and Florida laws prohibit online platforms from removing or demoting user content that expresses certain viewpoints. Alexandra Banner, CNN, 27 Feb. 2024 The 26-year-old lefty was the A’s Opening Day starter last season and had a good start, then struggled and was demoted to the minors. Laurence Miedema, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2024 Cabrera didn’t hit 100 innings in the big leagues and was demoted to Triple A for a month due to command issues. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2024 When policing fake election content, social media platforms can take it down, slap warning labels on it or demote it. Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'demote.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

de- + -mote (as in promote)

First Known Use

circa 1891, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of demote was circa 1891

Dictionary Entries Near demote

Cite this Entry

“Demote.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demote. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

demote

verb
de·​mote di-ˈmōt How to pronounce demote (audio)
ˈdē-
demoted; demoting
: to reduce to a lower grade or rank
demotion noun

More from Merriam-Webster on demote

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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