derogatory

play

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

Definition of derogatory

1 :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

2 :expressive of a low opinion :disparaging

derogatory remarks

a derogatory term

—

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

Just like many others, I was left shocked and in disbelief of his derogatory opinions and attitude throughout his campaign.

— ariana marsh, Teen Vogue, "The Graduate Projects of Six British Art Students Were Inspired By Donald Trump," 17 July 2017
Donald Trump Jr.'s meeting with a Russian lawyer aimed at obtaining derogatory information about Hillary Clinton in June 2016 had another, previously undisclosed participant: a former Soviet military counterintelligence officer.

— david s. cloud, latimes.com, "Former Russian military intelligence officer attended Trump Tower meeting," 14 July 2017
Typically, 92 percent of people with liens and judgments have other derogatory information in records that raise red flags, according to FICO.

— gail marksjarvis, The Seattle Times, "Credit score reforms could even benefit those without blemished records," 8 July 2017
Typically, 92 percent of people with liens and judgments have other derogatory information in records that raise red flags, according to FICO.

— gail marksjarvis, The Seattle Times, "Credit score reforms could even benefit those without blemished records," 8 July 2017
According to TMZ, Chyna states in her declaration that in April, Rob started saying derogatory things about Chyna in front of her son, King.

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "Blac Chyna Reportedly Accuses Rob Kardashian of Domestic Violence in New Legal Documents," 7 July 2017
The nude images have since been deleted, although a number of derogatory posts are still up on Kardashian’s Instagram account.

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "Rob Kardashian Posted Nude Pics of Blac Chyna Without Her Consent," 5 July 2017
Typically, 92 percent of people with liens and judgments have other derogatory information in records that raise red flags, according to FICO.

— gail marksjarvis, chicagotribune.com, "Dogged by a bad credit score? Here's why relief could be on the way.," 29 June 2017
Masharaki's complaint claims that Hill, the network's former programming president whose exit was announced at the same time as hers, subjected her to derogatory comments and intimidation.

— ashley cullins, Billboard, "Ex-BET Exec Defends Merits of Her Discrimination Lawsuit," 28 June 2017

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.