derogatory

adjective de·rog·a·to·ry \ di-ˈrä-gə-ˌtȯr-ē \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Examples: derogatory in a Sentence

Editor's Note: What is a derogatory Credit Report?

Definition of derogatory

1 : expressive of a low opinion : disparaging

derogatory remarks

a derogatory term

2 : detracting from the character or standing of something —often used with to, towards, or of

… abstained from saying a word derogatory to his new friend's religion …
—Anthony Trollope

—

derogatorily

play \-ˌrä-gə-ˈtȯr-ə-lē\ adverb

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Examples of derogatory in a Sentence

The aroma of wine made from Concord … grapes is often described as "foxy," a wine term as derogatory as it is vague. —Danny May et al., Berkshire Home Style, March 2007
In Powell's memoir, Lemann points out, terms like "expert" and "academic" are clearly derogatory. —Franklin Foer, New Republic, 5 Feb. 2001
Unfortunately, the codes were badly explained and ham-handedly enforced. At Michigan an interpretive guide called "What Students Should Know … " went beyond the scope of the actual code in saying that even a derogatory comment … would be punished by the university. —Laurence R. Stains, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 1993
fans made a steady stream of derogatory remarks about the players on the visiting team

Recent Examples of derogatory from the Web

Body camera footage of a May 17 incident released to The Arizona Republic showed the male suspect repeatedly calling officers by a derogatory term and arguing with them.

— brieanna j frank, azcentral, "Two Mesa officers put on leave as police investigate another use-of-force incident," 7 June 2018
She was named chairwoman of Miss America’s board in January, days after key leaders of the Miss America Organization—including then-CEO Sam Haskell—were revealed to have exchanged derogatory emails about former Miss Americas.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Miss America Is Ditching Its Swimsuit Competition," 5 June 2018
When the flight attendant helped the man exit the bathroom, the flight attendant later told the FBI that Felix called him by a derogatory term used to refer to gay men.

— chabeli herrera, miamiherald, "The flight attendant wouldn't give him more beer. Then the punches started flying. | Miami Herald," 25 May 2018
More: Is 'tonc' an acronym or a derogatory term for migrants?

— ashley may, USA TODAY, "Border Patrol agent questions two U.S. citizens for speaking Spanish in Montana gas station," 21 May 2018
At Abedini’s court hearing on Monday, an Ada County prosecutor said Abedini violated the no-contact order by sending derogatory, name-calling text messages to Naghmeh.

— nicole blanchard, idahostatesman, "Boise pastor sent derogatory messages to ex-wife, violating no-contact order, court says | Idaho Statesman," 19 Mar. 2018
And out of uniform, he was called a derogatory term by a white person while trying to park his car.

— tom hallman jr., OregonLive.com, "One play, two men and a conversation about police and race: Tom Hallman," 18 Mar. 2018
As the teams lined up to shake hands, a Crescent City player allegedly called someone from Grace Christian a derogatory term, and a mini-fracas broke out.

— jim derry, NOLA.com, "Devonta Harris goes for 26, as Crescent City heads back to the Division V title game," 11 May 2017
Before the game, Marseille fans poured off the trams close to the stadium singing derogatory songs about Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas, amid ongoing tensions between the clubs and their presidents.

— jerome pugmire, chicagotribune.com, "Griezmann brace leads Atletico Madrid to win Europa League trophy," 16 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'derogatory.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

What is a derogatory Credit Report?

When derogatory first began to be used in English it had the meaning “detracting from the character or standing of something.” It comes from the verb derogate, which can be traced to the Latin word derogare (“to detract” or “to annul (a law)”). Derogatory quickly took on the additional meaning “disdainful, disparaging,” as may be seen in the word’s frequent use in “derogatory comment.” Derogatory is increasingly seen today in credit reports, although it should not be taken as a credit card company making unkind comments on the character of the cardholder. In this context it refers to something (such as a late payment, foreclosure, or bankruptcy) that will have a negative effect on a person’s credit score.