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.
Rangers had been demoted to the third tier in 2012 for financial misconduct, then risen again. Michael Walker, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025 That was not enough for the Thai to preserve his seat with Sergio Perez waiting in the wings for 2021 as he was demoted to reserve driver. Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025 The Baltimore Orioles made the decision to demote top prospect Coby Mayo to Triple-A on Tuesday. Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025 His visit comes as his administration has spent the last several weeks demoting attorneys who worked on cases related to Jan. 6 and firing officials who investigated the president. Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 14 Mar. 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 18 Apr. 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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