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
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.
With the Mets tentatively planning to activate Vientos on Monday, Mauricio is the likely candidate to demote. Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 21 June 2025 The Boston Red Sox are demoting top prospect Kristian Campbell, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. Noah Camras, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025 Counsell demoted Pressly but didn’t bury the veteran reliever, who has not allowed an earned run in 16 straight appearances since a historically bad outing. Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 18 June 2025 Ames was later demoted and her previous role was given to another colleague who had less seniority, a gay man. Chantelle Lee, Time, 5 June 2025 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 30 Jun. 2025.

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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