demote

verb

de·​mote di-ˈmōt How to pronounce demote (audio)
ˌdē-
demoted; demoting
Synonyms of demotenext

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.
They aren’t being demoted or deprioritized. Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026 Acquired before last year’s trade deadline from the Colorado Rockies, Bird was quickly demoted after struggling in his initial Yankee stint. Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 6 Apr. 2026 Senior officials have discussed promoting Dhillon to one of the top department roles, while demoting Woodward, the sources added. Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026 Once in a rare while, a person who was once heroically famous is demoted to infamous, and his statues disappear. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026 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 9 Apr. 2026.

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

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