demote

verb

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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Members like Jacob Gilson, the team’s event coordinator, are left asking what guidelines UConn Rec followed in deciding which teams to demote. Katie Servas, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026 Will Smith has been a disappointment as teammate Dalton Rushing has outearned him, despite 50+ fewer at bats, while Agustín Ramírez has fallen out of the ranks after being demoted to the minors. Dalton Del Don, New York Times, 13 May 2026 Oviedo has already been demoted, but 10 teams are within four points of each other near the bottom of the table going into the last two rounds. ABC News, 13 May 2026 Despite getting demoted from protagonist to fatality victim, Tan hints that he might not be done with Mortal Kombat — even if Cole and his now-two-dimensional noggin are. James Grebey, Vulture, 12 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for demote

Word History

Etymology

de- + -mote (as in promote)

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of demote was in 1872

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Demote.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demote. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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

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