derogatory

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

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

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

See derogatory defined for English-language learners

See derogatory defined for kids

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

The inspector general report does not square with the Republican narrative of the FBI as a politically biased institution since the Oct. 30 story contained derogatory information about Clinton and her foundation.

— eric tucker and mary clare jalonick, BostonGlobe.com, "Ex-FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe misled investigators, DOJ finds," 13 Apr. 2018
Most notably, perhaps, is the time he was forced to apologize after his derogatory tweet about Africa and Ebola.

— emily wang, Allure, "Beauty Vlogger James Charles Called Ariana Grande the “Rudest Celebrity” He’s Ever Met," 2 Apr. 2018
Authorities in Kansas have filed criminal charges against a 42-year-old Missouri man accused of calling a toddler a derogatory racial term inside a restaurant before allegedly spitting on the child, PEOPLE confirms.

— chris harris, PEOPLE.com, "Firefighter Charged After Allegedly Calling Toddler a Racial Slur, Spitting on Him," 7 Mar. 2018
Scott has more than 50 pages listing infractions he's had while housed at the jail, Dillon said, including attempting to jam open his cell door and making derogatory comments to staff.

— becky jacobs, Post-Tribune, "Man gets 27 years for beating man to death, kicking him 'like a football' in a Gary alley," 22 Mar. 2018
Miller was said to have made derogatory comments about one of his former assistants about her unborn baby.

— john cherwa, latimes.com, "Racing! Catching up on the news as we await the weekend," 22 Mar. 2018
Four female lawmakers called for Seitz to step down on Feb. 2 for reportedly making derogatory comments about Butler County Rep. Candice Keller at a going-away party for a GOP staffer.

— Cincinnati.com, "Bill Seitz tells election officials he's 'retiring' - opening door to collecting pension and salary simultaneously," 9 Feb. 2018
In Jay-Z's view, the president's derogatory remarks merely pulled back the curtain on racist attitudes and conversations that already existed in the United States.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "Jay-Z thinks Trump is 'in pain.' The president responded on Twitter," 28 Jan. 2018
That could be because of the derogatory remarks Trump made about women in the past.

— mary kilpatrick, cleveland.com, "Ohio still has a political gender gap, but not in the race for governor: A Woman's Place," 8 Jan. 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.